Rubio defends US waiver on Russia energy tariffs, citing India's import limits

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said India has diversified its energy imports but cannot "pivot" away from Russian supplies overnight, following President Donald Trump's waiver of tariffs that could have imposed 100% duties on India and four other nations for purchasing Russian oil and gas. Rubio described India as an "important ally" of the United States, noting it still receives substantial Russian energy despite voluntary diversification. Trump invoked Section 115 of the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russian and Iran Act, deferring secondary sanctions against India, China, Azerbaijan, Slovakia, and Hungary, the top five purchasers of Russian energy. The waiver follows a US diesel supply deal with Moscow announced last week, with Russia set to deliver over 300,000 tons immediately and millions more in coming months. The move comes ahead of US midterm elections on November 3, where Trump's Republican Party is expected to perform poorly.