US President Donald Trump is expected to decide within the next 10 days whether to invoke sanctions provisions that could affect countries purchasing Russian oil and gas, including India, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy forum, Gor said the legislation gives Trump the authority to impose penalties on countries buying Russian energy or helping others circumvent existing sanctions, news agency ANI reported. However, he emphasised that the measures were not aimed at any specific country.
“He has to make a determination in the next I believe 10 or so days,” Gor said, adding that Trump had not imposed sanctions on any country under the law so far. The legislation requires the President to make a determination within 30 days of its passage.
Trump to decide on sanctions, India could be affected
Gor said the legislation had received strong bipartisan backing in the US Senate, with 86 of the 100 senators voting in its favour.
“The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war,” Gor said, explaining the administration's position on the proposed measures.
He reiterated that Trump was expected to make a decision in the coming days. According to Gor, the US administration recognises that countries cannot immediately discontinue their existing energy supplies but wants to work with its partners to gradually reduce the flow of funds towards the war.
When asked whether India could receive relief from the proposed sanctions or qualify for exemptions, Gor said the decision would rest with Trump.
US-India trade deal negotiations making progress
Gor also expressed confidence that India and the US would reach a trade agreement, saying significant progress had been made despite the complexity of the negotiations.
“The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done,” Gor said. He added that the remaining work involved resolving smaller details, along with addressing new issues that could arise during the discussions.
The negotiations have been underway for around a year and a half. Gor said they were progressing at an unusually fast pace compared with other trade agreements.
He also explained that the US administration had to revisit parts of the earlier trade arrangement after the US Supreme Court ruled the law underpinning it unconstitutional.
Defence, semiconductors and AI among key areas of cooperation
Gor said Washington wanted to deepen business ties with India across several sectors, including defence, information technology, data centres and chip manufacturing. He added that greater investment by US companies in India could also help generate jobs in the United States.
The Ambassador also identified India as a promising location for artificial intelligence (AI) development, highlighting the potential benefits of partnerships between Indian businesses and leading US technology companies.
He said developing AI capabilities in India in collaboration with American firms could strengthen technological ties and create opportunities for businesses in both countries.
“India would be an incredible fit for AI, for tech development right here on their own soil, but partnering with some of our best companies is a win-win situation,” he said.