Reference News Network, January 29 report, according to AFP, January 28 report, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bensin said on the 28th that EU countries were "very disappointing" because India started buying sanctioned Russian oil at a time when it reached a trade agreement with the EU.
Bensin admitted, "they (India) of course will do what is best for themselves," but in an interview with U.S. media, he asked, "Guess who these oils are sold to after being refined in India? It's Europeans!"
Bensin said, "Therefore, Europeans are actually funding a war against themselves. The United States has imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to its purchase of Russian oil. European countries had expressed willingness to follow our actions, but ultimately gave up, because they wanted to reach a trade agreement."
Bensin emphasized, "Therefore, whenever you hear Europeans talk about the importance of Ukrainian people, remember that they always put trade above Ukrainians. For Europe, trade is more important than ending the war in Ukraine."
After 20 years of negotiations, India and the EU officially reached an ambitious trade agreement on the 27th, creating a free trade area covering 2 billion people. India and the EU expect to promote bilateral trade growth by reducing tariffs in multiple areas.
Brussels stated that India's reduction of tariffs on imported goods from the EU is expected to save the EU up to 4 billion euros annually, especially in key product sectors. (Translated by Liu Zhuo)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7600667192471896628/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.