India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday in Kuala Lumpur, amid lingering tensions over Russian oil purchases and American tariffs on Indian goods. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.
In a post on the social media platform X, Jaishankar said the talks covered bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues. According to India’s External Affairs Ministry, Jaishankar is representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi—who participated virtually in the ASEAN summit—at the 20th East Asia Summit, also held in the Malaysian capital.
The United States and India resumed trade discussions last month, following a period of strain caused by the Trump administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian products, introduced partly in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since 2022, India has sharply increased imports of discounted Russian crude, becoming one of Moscow’s main energy clients despite Western sanctions. The United States remains India’s largest trading partner, with total trade in goods and services estimated at $212.3 billion in 2024.
