India's purchase of Russian oil is not a "bedrock" of the Indian economy, and the country is starting to diversify its energy buys, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, noting that New Delhi will make its own decisions and Washington is not dictating to other nations on who they can have relations with.

"India has not always bought so much Russian oil. They've always had strong relationships with Russia, but it's really in the past two or three years that they started buying Russian oil at a discount, not only for consumption, but also for refining and resale," Greer said during a conversation hosted by The Economic Club of New York here last week.

"So it's not like this is some bedrock part of the Indian economy. This is something we believe they can do and should do. And frankly, I can already see them starting to diversify. I think they get it," he said.

Greer added that "obviously they (India) are a sovereign country. They're going to control their decisions."

"We're not trying to dictate other countries who they can have relations with and who they can't. That's not what we're trying to do," the senior Trump administration official said.

US President Donald Trump has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including 25 per cent for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. 

Trump and his administration officials have said that India's purchase of Russian oil is fuelling Moscow's war against Ukraine. 

Trump, in his address to world leaders at the UN General Assembly last month, had said that China and India are the "primary funders" of the ongoing Ukraine war by continuing to purchase Russian oil.

Responding to a question on the impact of the 50 per cent tariff on India, Greer said the levies on India have been in place now for some weeks. 

"India is a country that has a USD 40 billion trade surplus with us. So they already have a great deal with the United States. They sell us a lot more than we sell to them. That being said, the Indians are being pragmatic," he said.

Greer noted that Washington has "actually been having" conversations with the Indians from day one of the Trump administration on the trade side of the ledger.