Trump aide Bessent says ‘US sacrificed more’, slams EU for India trade pact despite Russia war
Ahead of India and the European Union on the verge of announcing what has been described as the “mother of all deals”, the United States has expressed visible discomfort over the timing of the landmark agreement.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent criticised the EU for concluding a trade pact with India while trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington are still ongoing.
Speaking to ABC News, Bessent argued that the US has borne a heavier burden than Europe in efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war. “We have put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India,” he said.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent:
The US has made much bigger sacrifices than the Europeans have. We have put 25% tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India. The Russian oil goes into India, the… pic.twitter.com/bzwchWKDuP — Clash Report (@clashreport) January 26, 2026
Bessent further accused European countries of indirectly funding the war through energy trade. “The Russian oil goes into India, the refined products come out, and the Europeans buy the refined products. They are financing the war against themselves,” he said, reiterating his long-standing criticism of India’s oil purchases from Russia.
His remarks mark a shift from earlier comments made in a Politico interview, where Bessent had said Indian refineries had reduced imports of Russian crude. At the time, he had suggested that US tariffs on India could eventually be rolled back. “The tariffs are still on. I would imagine there is a path to take them off,” he had said. There has been no official response from India on these claims.
Meanwhile, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed that India and the EU have concluded negotiations on a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with a formal announcement scheduled at the 16th India-EU Summit on Tuesday. The talks will involve Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.
The FTA is expected to significantly boost Indian exports, especially in sectors such as textiles, jewellery, chemicals, leather goods, and engineering products, which have been hit by steep US tariffs. Negotiations on the agreement began in 2007 and were revived in 2022, positioning the deal as a cornerstone of a broader India-EU economic and strategic partnership amid shifting global trade dynamics.