Donald Trump’s BIG claim on India Russia oil trade, says, ‘PM Modi…’; threatens India of ‘massive tariffs’ if…
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a statement clarifying India’s stance on energy supply, emphasizing that the country’s import policies are guided by the objective of protecting the interests of Indian consumers.
US President Donald Trump once again claimed that India will stop buying oil from Russia, repeating this claim for the third time in five days. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “I talked to Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he will not do the Russian oil business.” he said. This statement sparked controversy; India has denied any talks between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
India denies Trump-Modi meeting
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a statement clarifying India’s stance on energy supply, emphasizing that the country’s import policies are guided by the objective of protecting the interests of Indian consumers. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal denied any meeting between PM Modi and Trump and said, “I am not aware of any meeting between the two leaders yesterday.”
Trump warned India of “huge tariffs” if it continues to buy Russian oil, saying, “But if they want to say that, then they’re going to keep paying huge tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.” This statement coincides with ongoing trade negotiations between India and the US, with Trump imposing a 50% tariff on Indian imports, citing India’s oil trade with Russia.
Trump’s previous claims
Trump had previously claimed that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil and described this as a “big step”. He also stated that the change would not happen immediately, but would happen “in a short period of time” as it was “a bit of a process”. During a bilateral lunch with Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump repeated the claim, saying, “India will no longer buy Russian oil.”
India’s energy policy
India defended its energy policy by emphasizing the need to protect consumer interests in an unstable energy scenario. The country’s import policies aim to ensure stable energy prices and secure supply by focusing on diversification of energy sources. MEA stated that India’s energy cooperation with the US has been expanding steadily over the last decade and discussions to deepen cooperation are ongoing.
