US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent slammed the India-EU free trade agreement, which is likely to be unveiled on Tuesday, saying that Europe is indirectly funding the Russia-Ukraine war and was “financing a war against itself” by signing its deal with India.
Bessent said European governments were weakening their own security position by purchasing refined petroleum products from India, which he said are sourced from Russian crude. He argued that this stands in contrast to Washington’s stance, as the US continues to levy tariffs on India over the same issue.
Speaking to ABC News, Bessent justified the Trump administration’s decision to impose high tariffs on Indian imports, directly linking the move to New Delhi’s energy trade with Moscow.
“We have put 25 per cent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. Guess what happened last week? The Europeans signed a trade deal with India,” he said.
“And just to be clear again, 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,” Bessent added.
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
The comments come just as India and the European Union prepare to formally announce the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive free trade agreement at a high-level summit on Tuesday. The announcement is expected to mark the end of discussions that have stretched over 18 years.
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