Trump: India Cut Russian Oil Imports at My Request
India pulled out of Russia. India was getting its oil from Russia, and they pulled way back on my request because we want to settle a horrible war, Trump said
Washington DC: US President Donald Trump claimed that India significantly reduced its oil imports from Russia following his request.
Citing his “fantastic relationship” with India, Trump told reporters at a White House briefing that India had scaled back its purchases of Russian oil amid efforts to end the ongoing conflict.
“India pulled out of Russia. India was getting its oil from Russia, and they pulled way back on my request because we want to settle a horrible war, where 25,000 people are dying every month. My relationship with PM Modi is great,” Trump said.
Washington had earlier imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India over its purchase of discounted Russian oil, raising the total tariffs to 50 per cent. However, after India and the US struck an interim trade agreement recently, tariffs were reduced to 18 per cent.
While removing the additional 25 per cent tariffs, the US stated that India had committed to stop directly or indirectly importing oil from the Russian Federation, would purchase American energy products, and had agreed to a framework to expand defence cooperation with the US over the next decade.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated that India remains committed to strategic autonomy despite shifting global partnerships.
“We are very much wedded to strategic autonomy because it's very much a part of our history and our evolution. It's something which is very deep, and it's something which cuts across the political spectrum as well,” he said.
Addressing energy sourcing concerns, Jaishankar described the global oil market as complex and dynamic, noting that procurement decisions are guided by commercial considerations.
“As for energy issues, this is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest,” he said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also underlined that India’s energy decisions would continue to be driven by national interest, emphasising that adequate availability, fair pricing and reliability of supply remain the key pillars of the country’s energy policy.
