NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision within the next 10 days on sanctions provisions that could affect countries buying Russian oil and gas, including India, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy forum, the US Envoy said, “He has to make a determination in the next I believe 10 or so days,” Gor said, noting that the President had not imposed sanctions on any country under the law so far and was required to make a determination within 30 days of its passage.
Gor added that the legislation passed by the US Congress gives the President authority to impose sanctions on countries involved in buying Russian oil and gas or helping evade sanctions, but stressed that the measures were not directed at any particular country.
“The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war,” Gor said, adding that Trump was expected to make a determination over the next few days.
Gor noted that the legislation had received overwhelming bipartisan support in the US Senate, securing 86 votes out of 100.
“I do think the President will make a determination on that over the next few days,” he said. Gor added that the administration understood that countries could not immediately stop their energy supplies, but wanted to work with partners to gradually reduce funds flowing towards the war.
Asked whether India could receive sanctions relief or exemptions, Gor said the decision rested with the President.
The Ambassador also expressed confidence that India and the US would conclude a trade deal, saying the two sides had made substantial progress despite the complexity of the negotiations.
“The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done,” Gor said, adding that the remaining issues included smaller details and new concerns that could emerge as negotiations progressed.
He said the negotiations had been underway for around a year and a half and were moving at an unusually fast pace compared with other trade agreements.
Gor said the administration had to revisit parts of the earlier trade arrangement after the US Supreme Court ruled the law underpinning it unconstitutional.
He added that the US was keen to expand business cooperation with India across sectors, including defence, information technology, data centres and chip manufacturing. Gor further said investment by US companies in India could also support job creation in the United States.
Gor said India was well positioned to emerge as a major hub for artificial intelligence (AI) development, with partnerships between Indian firms and leading US technology companies offering benefits to both countries.
He said developing AI capabilities on Indian soil, while working with US companies, could strengthen technology cooperation and create opportunities for businesses in both countries.
“India would be an incredible fit for AI, for tech development right here on their own soil, but partnering with some of our best companies is a win-win situation,” he said. (ANI)
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