Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Reiterating that PM Modi is a “great friend and a great guy”, Trump said he was unhappy with India buying oil from Russia as it helped Russia continue its war with Ukraine.
“We share a great relationship. We were not happy with them buying oil from Russia because it would allow Russia to continue this ridiculous war in which they have lost a million and a half of their people. This is a war that should never have started but this is a war that Russia should have won in the first week, now we are entering the fourth year. I would like to see it stop. So I was not happy that India was buying oil and he assured me today that They will not buy oil from Russia. This is a big milestone. Now we will have to get the same work done from China also. “It’s relatively easy compared to what we did in the Middle East last week,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
The Indian administration has not yet confirmed Trump’s comments in an official capacity.
Answering another question from a journalist on relations with PM Modi, Trump said that the meeting between US Ambassador Sergio Gore and PM Modi was very good and he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end soon.
“They can’t do it right away. It’s a small process, but the process is going to end soon,” Trump said in reference to Indian oil purchases from Russia.
The US President further said, “If India does not buy oil, it becomes very easy. They will not buy oil from Russia and after the war is over they will go back to Russia.”
Currently, Russia is India’s top oil supplier, exporting 1.62 million barrels per day in September, a third of the country’s oil exports.
Trump’s comments come at a time when an Indian delegation led by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal is currently visiting the United States to address tariff-related issues.
“If you look at the numbers, energy purchases from the US have increased in the last seven to eight years. Our energy purchases in the past have also reached $23-24 billion. Right now, we are at an average of $12-13 billion annually. There is a scope of $14-15 billion which we can buy without worrying about the configuration of the refineries,” Aggarwal had said during a briefing.
US has imposed 50% tariff on Indian exports to America. The Trump administration had increased the tariff on India’s oil purchases from Russia to 50% from the earlier 25%.