Chatting with Fox Radio’s Brian Kilmeade, Rubio mentioned, “India is an ally. It is a strategic associate. Like something in international coverage, you are not going to align one hundred percent of the time on all the pieces.”
“India has enormous power wants and that features the power to purchase oil, coal and fuel and issues that it must energy its economic system like each nation does, and it buys it from Russia, as a result of Russian oil is sanctioned and low-cost and – which means they need to – in lots of circumstances, they’re promoting it underneath the worldwide worth due to the sanctions,” he defined.
The US State Secretary underlined the influence of this commerce on the continued struggle in Ukraine. “That – sadly that’s serving to to maintain the Russian struggle effort. So it’s most definitely a degree of irritation in our relationship with India – not the one level of irritation. We even have many different factors of cooperation with them,” he mentioned.
“However I feel what you are seeing the President categorical is the very clear frustration that with so many different oil distributors out there, India continues to purchase a lot from Russia, which in essence helps to fund the struggle effort — and permitting this struggle to proceed in Ukraine,” he added.
Rubio’s feedback got here within the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s submit on Fact Social, the place he introduced a 25% tariff and extra penalties on India beginning August 1, citing its Russian oil imports making up 35% of its total provide within the first half of the yr.
Rubio additionally detailed the broader context of US engagement with Russia and potential punitive choices, saying, “The President has waited over six months now and given the perfect efforts potential… We have not seen any progress.” He added that Trump has choices like “secondary sanctions on oil gross sales of Russia oil” and “sectoral banking sanctions” if there is not any honest curiosity in peace from Moscow.
On Russian threats, Rubio dismissed former president Dmitry Medvedev’s current feedback as inflammatory however irrelevant. “He is not a related participant in Russian politics… he is definitely somebody in an official place in Russia who’s saying issues which might be inflammatory… I do not assume that is going to be an element somehow,” he mentioned.
He additionally dominated out any actual risk of a U.S.-Russia struggle, saying, “That is not even a fathomable factor… I feel what you are concerned extra about is a skirmish or a miscalculation… because the Russians will not be excellent at standard weaponry, they might virtually invariably need to depend on another means like a tactical nuclear weapon.”
Commenting on the popularity of a Palestinian state by some Western international locations, Rubio known as the transfer “irrelevant” and “counterproductive,” warning it solely emboldens Hamas and hurts ceasefire efforts. “There could be no Palestinian state until Israel agrees to it… It is counterproductive,” he mentioned.
He additionally credited Arab nations like Qatar for pushing Hamas towards a ceasefire however criticized the influence of worldwide statements recognizing Palestine. “Israel truly made a bunch of concessions that Hamas had requested for… after which Hamas got here again and simply rejected the deal – and by the best way, rejected it on the identical day that Macron from France made his announcement,” he famous.
On China, Rubio acknowledged advanced ties and up to date commerce talks: “We now have loads of points that we disagree with China on… however a mature international coverage requires strategic balancing of equities.” He added, “There are vulnerabilities that we have to shut… and I feel it is time we’ve got a accountability –” earlier than being reduce off by the tip of the interview.
Rubio additionally strongly defended his earlier Senate investigation into the 2016 US election interference, reiterating, “There was zero, zilch proof in any way – any proof of any type – that the Trump marketing campaign in any means colluded with the Russians.” He slammed the dealing with of the Steele file, calling it “a lie” that “value tens of millions of {dollars} in investigations – all chasing a hoax.”
He criticized US and worldwide media for neglecting the plight of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. “We have achieved greater than, frankly, anyone else when it comes to offering funding… You recognize what the cameras do not seize? The struggling of 20 folks residing in tunnels proper now taken hostage by Hamas.”
Rubio’s remarks spotlight escalating tensions between Washington and its key allies, notably over Russia’s ongoing struggle in Ukraine and the shifting geopolitical calculus round China, Israel, and West Asia.