Trump To Decide On Russia Oil Sanctions Within 10 Days, US Envoy Says

US President Donald Trump is expected to decide within the next 10 days on sanctions provisions that could affect countries importing Russian oil and gas, including India, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Thursday.

Speaking to Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in New Delhi, Gor said legislation passed by the US Congress authorised Trump to impose sanctions on countries purchasing Russian energy or helping evade existing sanctions. He stressed, however, that the provisions were not directed 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 yet imposed sanctions on any country under the law. The legislation requires the US president to make a determination within 30 days of its passage, he said.

Gor said India was among several countries covered by the provisions, which encompass purchases of oil and gas and assistance in evading sanctions. The measures, he added, were intended to pressure Russia to end its war against Ukraine rather than punish individual countries.

India Among Countries Covered By Russia Sanctions Provisions

“It just happens that India does fall in one of those buckets, along with a lot of other countries,” Gor said.

He noted that the legislation had received substantial bipartisan support in the US Senate, securing 86 votes out of 100. The administration also recognised that countries could not immediately replace or discontinue their existing energy supplies and wanted to work with partners to gradually reduce the flow of funds towards Russia’s war effort.

Asked whether India could receive sanctions relief or exemptions, Gor said the decision rested with Trump and reiterated that the president was expected to make a determination in the coming days.

The potential measures come amid continuing scrutiny of India’s purchases of Russian energy and the broader implications for New Delhi’s economic relationship with Washington. The provisions could affect countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas, although Gor said the legislation was not aimed at India specifically.

US-India Trade Deal, AI And Technology Cooperation

Gor also expressed confidence that India and the US would conclude a trade agreement, saying negotiations had made substantial progress despite their complexity.

“The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done,” he said, adding that the remaining work involved smaller details and addressing new concerns that could arise during discussions.

The negotiations had been underway for around a year and a half and were progressing at an unusually fast pace compared with other trade agreements, Gor said. He added that the US administration had to revisit parts of an earlier trade arrangement after the Supreme Court struck down the law underpinning it as unconstitutional.

Beyond trade, Gor said Washington wanted to expand business cooperation with India across defence, information technology, data centres and semiconductor manufacturing. Greater investment by American companies in India could also help create jobs in the US, he said.

The envoy also identified India as a potential major hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development, arguing that partnerships between Indian businesses and leading American technology companies could benefit 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,” Gor said.

His remarks come as both countries seek to deepen economic and technological ties while navigating differences over trade and India’s continued purchases of Russian energy.