Sat Sep 13 09:38:49 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text, written with an Indian perspective in mind, suitable for “The Hindu”:
**The Hindu: World Affairs**
**U.S. Urges G7 to Impose Tariffs on Countries Buying Russian Oil; India Already Hit with 50% Levy**
**New York/Washington, September 13, 2025:** The United States is intensifying its pressure on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, urging G7 nations to join Washington in imposing tariffs on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and United States Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, in a call with G7 Finance Ministers on Friday, argued that cutting off revenue streams to Moscow is the only way to effectively end the war.
While the U.S. statement did not explicitly name nations targeted by this policy, Washington has frequently criticized India and China for buying Russian oil. In a move already impacting bilateral relations, the U.S. has unilaterally imposed a hefty 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% additional duty specifically related to the purchase of Russian crude.
New Delhi has strongly protested this tariff, calling it “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” and maintaining that its energy procurement decisions are guided by national interest and market realities. The already strained India-U.S. trade negotiations, which have been ongoing since March, have been further complicated by this tariff. The U.S. team postponed its visit to India last month as a result. Plans to conclude the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement by the fall of 2025 now appear uncertain.
The G7 meeting, chaired by Canada’s Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne, focused on increasing pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine. Canada has indicated that accelerating discussions to further use immobilised Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukraine’s defence were discussed at the G7 Meeting. Trump in an interview with ‘Fox and Friends’ stated “Look, India was their biggest customer. I put a 50% tariff on India because they’re buying oil from Russia.”
The U.S. action and its call for unified G7 tariffs raise critical questions about energy security, national sovereignty, and the future of international trade relations. India’s response and its continued engagement with Russia will be closely watched as the global landscape shifts in response to the ongoing conflict.
First Piper 