अवलोकन: को 6 March 2026 , the United States announced a 30‑दिन की छूट that permits भारतीय रिफ़ाइनरियों to buy Russian oil already stranded at sea. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) portrayed the move as a triumph of रणनीतिक तेल कूटनीति under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the opposition Indian National Congress (INC) accused the United States of “blackmail”. मुख्य विकास The U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary exemption to allow purchases of Russian crude, citing the need to keep oil flowing amid the escalating Iran‑U.S. tension. BJP राष्ट्रीय प्रवक्ता Pradeep Bhandari lauded the waiver as a “big egg on the face” of the Congress and warned against “fake news” on oil shortages. Congress के नेताओं Rahul Gandhi और Jairam Ramesh criticised the waiver, framing it as American coercion and questioning its duration. The waiver is limited to oil already stranded at sea and is not expected to provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government. महत्वपूर्ण तथ्य • This exemption is strictly a sanctions waiver, not a new trade agreement. • The United States expects India to increase purchases of U.S. oil once the short‑term measure ends, positioning India as an “essential partner”. • The waiver does not alter the broader geopolitical contest involving Russia, Iran, and the United States, but serves as a stop‑gap to mitigate potential supply disruptions. UPSC प्रासंगिकता The episode touches upon multiple GS papers: GS‑1 (International Relations) : Understanding how energy security influences bilateral ties, especially U.S.–India strategic partnership and the impact of Iran‑related tensions.