Trump claims India has 'de-escalated' on Russian oil during meeting with Zelensky
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Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that India has “de-escalated” its purchases of Russian oil, as he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
“India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore. And they have already de-escalated, and they have more or less stopped; they are pulling back. They bought about 38 per cent of the oil, and they won't be doing it anymore,” Trump said.
He added that India had assured him it would not purchase Russian oil immediately, but the process of ending imports was underway. “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia…You can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin is...stop this,” he said.
Trump also said that India’s decision not to buy Russian oil would make it “much easier” to end the conflict, adding, “Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they'll go back to Russia after the war's over.” He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man” and India as “an incredible country.”
India, however, has rejected Trump’s claims of a telephonic conversation with PM Modi in which he alleged assurances had been given. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly media briefing: “Regarding the comment from the US on energy issue, we have already issued a statement, which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump.”
While India has increased its purchases of Russian oil in recent years, China remains Moscow’s largest energy buyer. The Trump administration had imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India in August for buying Russian oil, while taking no action against China.
Trump’s remarks come as India’s trade negotiating team is in Washington for the next round of talks with US officials. The Commerce Ministry on Wednesday said India could import additional crude oil and natural gas worth $12-$13 billion from the US without altering refinery configurations, with the government aiming to diversify the country’s energy imports at the “right price.”
Trade talks are resuming in Washington just days after the new US ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, met Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi.