India is completely cutting back on Russian oil: Trump claims
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New York: US President Donald Trump has claimed again that India will ‘completely stop’ buying Russian oil.
Trump’s assertion comes just as New Delhi has refused to toe the line saying that the country’s energy decision stems from national interest.
While interacting with reporters aboard Air Force One, president Trump on Saturday claimed that India is cutting back completely on its Russian oil purchase.
Adding further he said China was also cutting back on purchasing Russian oil ‘very substantially’.
Referring to fresh sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, he said that ‘we've done sanctions’.
Trump made the remarks ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Two leaders will meet as Washington and Beijing are still enmeshed in trade disputes regarding technology, and access to raw materials.
Hoping that the talks will lead to a ‘complete deal’, Trump said that he ‘may be discussing’ China's oil dealings with Russia.
Several times over the past week Trump claimed that India had assured him that it would stop buying Russian oil by the end of the year.
‘India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop It's a process. You can't just stop buying oil overnight. By the end of the year, they'll be down to almost nothing, almost 40 per cent of the oil,’ he was quoted as saying.
New Delhi, however, denying Trump's claims, said that India's energy policy remains ‘independent and focused on ensuring stable prices and reliable supply chains’.