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We chairman donald trump It has been claimed that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop Russian oil imports, However, New Delhi has clarified that discussions on this topic are ongoing.
IndiaRussian energy imports have been increasing since the beginning of the war ukraine has emerged as the most controversial point in India-US relations under Mr Trump’s second term. America has expressed its anger on India for taking advantage of discounted prices moscowWhich Mr Trump claims has helped finance Vladimir Putin’s war efforts.
trump administration Secondary sanctions imposed on India with 50 percent tariff The ban on goods from the country as punishment for India’s dependence on Russian energy is putting a strain on India-US relations for the first time in years.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Mr Trump said Mr Modi agreed during talks on Wednesday to phase out purchases of Russian oil in a manner not previously disclosed.
Mr Trump called it a “big step” and said India would stop imports “within a short period of time”.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil and he assured me today that he will not buy oil from Russia,” Mr Trump told reporters at the White House, referring to Mr Modi. “This is a big step. Now I have to get China to do the same.”
Mr Trump said India could not stop the shipments “immediately”, calling it “a bit of a process”, but that the process would be finished soon.
The Indian Foreign Ministry did not confirm whether it was complying with Mr Trump’s demand, but said discussions were ongoing.
India’s energy policies are guided by the need to protect consumer interests, ensure stable prices and diversified supply, and no definitive decision on Russian oil imports has been announced, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a Thursday statement.
Mr Jaiswal said, “India is a significant importer of oil and gas. Protecting the interests of Indian consumers in an unstable energy landscape has been our consistent priority. Our import policies are entirely guided by this objective.”
“Ensuring stable energy prices and secure supplies remain the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broadening our energy sourcing and diversifying it as appropriate to meet market conditions,” the statement said.
“As for the United States, we have sought to expand our energy purchases for many years. There has been steady progress over the past decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” it said.
India, which has become the world’s largest oil importer The major importer of Russian crude since the beginning of the war in 2022, From buying almost nothing before the invasion. India imported 1.62 million barrels per day in September, about a third of the country’s oil imports. However, China remains the largest buyer of Russian energy, both through seaborne and pipeline imports.
India has accused Washington of singling out New Delhi as Mr Trump has largely avoided putting similar pressure on China.
Analysts believe that a The US trade war with Beijing has complicated diplomatic efforts, Mr Trump is reluctant to risk escalating further tensions by seeking to block Chinese energy imports from Russia. America is now increasing pressure on Japan to stop importing Russian energy.
The US Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, said he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato at a meeting in Washington that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy.
“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues related to U.S.-Japan economic relations and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Mr. Besant said on the X.
Tokyo has already pledged to phase out Russian oil imports as part of G7 coordinated sanctions in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. However, Japan continues to buy Sakhalin Blend crude – a byproduct of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production from the Sakhalin-2 project in Russia’s Far East. The energy source remains important for Japan, providing about 9 percent of its total LNG imports, a key component of its energy security.
“Japan will do everything it can, based on the basic principle of coordination with the G7 countries, to achieve peace in Ukraine in a fair manner,” Mr. Kato told reporters when asked whether Mr. Besant had urged Japan to stop importing Russian energy.