US President Donald Trump is expected to decide within the next 10 days whether to invoke sanctions provisions targeting countries that purchase Russian oil and gas or help others circumvent existing restrictions, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy forum, Gor said the legislation authorises Trump to impose penalties on countries buying Russian energy. India could be affected by the decision, although the ambassador stressed that the proposed measures were not directed at any particular country, news agency ANI reported.
“He has to make a determination in the next I believe 10 or so days,” Gor said. He added that Trump had not imposed sanctions on any country under the law so far. The legislation requires the President to make a determination within 30 days of its passage.
Sanctions aimed at ending Russia's war
Gor said the legislation had received substantial bipartisan support in the US Senate, where 86 of the 100 senators voted in favour.
“The goal is not to punish anyone. The goal is to try to bring an end to this war,” he said, explaining the administration's position on the proposed measures.
The ambassador acknowledged that countries could not immediately replace or discontinue their existing energy supplies. Washington, he said, wanted to work with its partners to gradually reduce the flow of money towards the war.
Asked whether India could receive relief or qualify for an exemption from the proposed sanctions, Gor said the decision would be made by Trump.
US and India make progress on trade agreement
Gor also expressed confidence that India and the US would reach a trade agreement, saying the negotiations had made significant progress despite their complexity.
“The big picture, the big framework, the big items are done,” he said, adding that the remaining work involved resolving smaller details and addressing any new issues that emerged during discussions.
The negotiations have been under way for around a year and a half. According to Gor, they have progressed at an unusually fast pace compared with other trade agreements.
He also said the US administration had to revisit parts of the earlier trade arrangement after the US Supreme Court ruled the law underpinning it unconstitutional.
Defence, semiconductors and AI key to deeper cooperation
Beyond trade and energy, Gor said the US wanted to expand commercial ties with India across defence, information technology, data centres and semiconductor manufacturing. He added that increased investment by American companies in India could also help create jobs in the United States.
The ambassador described India as a promising destination for artificial intelligence (AI) development, highlighting opportunities for Indian businesses to partner with leading US technology companies.
He said developing AI capabilities on Indian soil in collaboration with American firms could strengthen technological 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,” Gor said.