"Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India is ‘closely following’ a US bill that would impose astronomical sanctions on countries buying Russian oil, while dismissing US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's comments over a stalled trade deal with the US as 'not accurate'. This comes after US Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday that Trump had given a green light to the Sanctioning Russia Act, which would enable the US to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries doing business with Russia’s energy sector. The bill is expected to be voted on during the coming weeks. Jaiswal insisted that India's energy purchases would be driven by affordability for its 1.4 billion citizens - using 'diverse sources to meet their energy security needs' - as well as based on the 'evolving dynamics in the global market'. He remarked that Washington has 'opted out' of the International Solar Alliance, which he stressed that India remains committed to advancing, pointedly noting that "India stands for multilateralism and believes that global issues need consultative and collaborative action by all countries.” He also pushed back on the comments made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who said trade talks had stalled because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call President Donald Trump to finalise a deal, after which Trump had doubled the tariff imposed on India to 50% over the country's purchases of Russian oil. “India and the United States were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S. as far back as 13th of February last year," he explained. “On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate. [...] Prime Minister and President Trump have also spoken on phone on eight occasions during 2025.” “Prime Minister and President Trump, they have a friendly relationship and have always addressed each other with mutual respect as per diplomatic norms,” he added. On other matters, the spokesperson also added that the ministry has issued an advisory against travel to Venezuela and Colombia, where India's diplomatic missions were in ‘close touch’ with its citizens after US attacks on Caracas. He also underlined that New Delhi is 'closely following' the situation around Greenland. Commenting on Chinese infrastructure buildup through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in the Shaksgam Valley, the spokesperson said: “We have consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality in Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests.” “We do not recognise the so-called China-Pakistan economic corridor either, which passes through Indian territory, that is under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan,” he added. Jaiswal also raised concerns over 'a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities' in Bangladesh, calling on Dhaka to deal with them 'swiftly and firmly', warning that a failure to do so 'emboldens the extremists' and 'deepens the sense of fear and insecurity'."