India 'cutting back completely' on Russian oil: Trump doubles down on claim
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, the Republican leader repeated his claim that New Delhi will be cutting its purchase of Russian oil.
US president Donald Trump has once again claimed that India will be cutting back on its purchase of Russian oil. Trump's remarks come as the president marks his first Asia tour with the ASEAN summit.
Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, the Republican leader repeated his claim that New Delhi will be cutting its purchase of Russian oil.
Trade ties between India and the US have been strained due to high tariffs and New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil. The oil trade with Russia led to Trump imposing a 50 percent tariff on India, while accusing it of "fuelling the war in Ukraine."
Responding to a query on whether Trump will discuss Russian pol purchase with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the US president said -
"I may be discussing it. You probably saw today, China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we've done sanctions."
Trump announced fresh US sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil earlier this week.
Trump's remarks on India and China's purchase of Russian oil comes ahead of his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Trump and Xi Jinping's meeting comes after the US increased its tariff on China. The meet is a part of the bid to reduce trade frictions between Beijing and Washington.
India rejects Trump's claim
Trump made a similar statement earlier this month, where he claimed that prime minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India will be cutting back and stopping its purchase of Russian oil.
This statement, however, was contested by the Ministry of External Affairs, which stated that India will prioritise its national interest and the Indian consumer first amid a "volatile energy market".
Furthermore, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the ministry was "not aware" of any telephonic conversation between the two leaders.
Despite this, the US president again claimed that India had agreed to cut back. "India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop...it's a process. You can't just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they'll be down to almost nothing; almost 40 percent of the oil," he said.
