Washington, October 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The United States sought European support for imposing secondary tariffs on India and China over their purchases of Russian energy, but its allies declined, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said, defending Washington’s decision to suspend enforcement of proposed penalties against countries trading with Moscow.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Bessent argued that European countries continued to buy Russian energy while refusing to join the US initiative targeting India and China.
“We have asked, in the spring, I asked our European allies to join us in putting secondary tariffs on China, on India. They refused,” Bessent said, questioning why Washington should bear the burden alone.
He cited shipments from Russia’s Yamal facility, claiming that 140 cargoes had departed during the first six months of the year, with 136 destined for European locations. According to Bessent, the shipments were worth more than $8 billion and went to countries including Belgium, Spain, France and the Netherlands.
The Treasury Secretary said the administration was reassessing its approach and maintained that existing sanctions against major Russian energy companies remained in force.
“No sanctions were lifted on Friday. No sanctions were lifted,” he said, distinguishing the suspension of enforcement of proposed new penalties from a separate easing of restrictions affecting Russian diesel exports.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright also addressed the issue in an interview with CNN’s State of the Union, identifying India and China as the principal countries that could face penalties under the proposed legislation.
“The Lindsey Graham Act is not about economic sanctions on Russia. It’s about economic sanctions on countries that trade with Russia,” Wright said, adding that the two countries were the most significant potential targets.
Wright said President Donald Trump had not abandoned the proposed sanctions but had suspended their enforcement for the time being. He also defended the diesel arrangement, arguing that Russia would benefit only if it reduced military operations sufficiently to make more fuel available for export.
The administration maintained that existing restrictions on Russian crude oil remained in place and pointed to continued US intelligence support for Ukraine and American weapons supplied through NATO partners.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several Republican lawmakers have argued that easing economic pressure could benefit Moscow without securing an end to the conflict.
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