'Our oil beneficial for Indian economy': Russia reacts to Trump's claim
“India and the US are independent in their decisions, and we do not interfere in those issues,” the ambassador said.
Russia on Thursday responded to US President Donald Trump’s recent claim that India would no longer buy Russian oil, asserting that Russian oil is beneficial to the Indian economy, but Moscow won't interfere between the US and India.
“India and the US are independent in their decisions, and we do not interfere in those issues. Our oil supplies are very beneficial for the Indian economy and the welfare of the Indian people,” Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said.
Earlier on Wednesday, while speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "assured" him that India would stop the purchase of Russian oil.
"I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop," he said.
India's response
Meanwhile, New Delhi firmly reiterated its stance, saying that safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario is the government's priority, and the country's energy imports "are guided entirely by this objective".
"India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
Referring to the US, Jaiswal said that India has been seeking to expand its energy procurement for years, a goal that Jaiswal has made progress on at a steady rate over the last 10 years.
He added that talks over energy cooperation are underway with Washington.
The MEA spokesperson further said, "Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing."
