Top Trump aide accuses India of fueling Russia's war in Ukraine
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Deputy Chief of Staff to the US President Stephen Miller openly accused India of financing the war in Ukraine. He said India is actively buying oil from the Kremlin, Reuters informs.
On a US TV channel, Miller said the United States finds it unacceptable that India buys Russian oil.
"What he (Donald Trump -ed.) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia... People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact," he said.
Reuters notes that Miller's criticism is the harshest the US administration has made regarding India.
Miller is not just one of Trump's most influential aides but also the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor. His words carry far more weight than other officials' criticism.
Will India stop buying oil from Russia?
Recently, the media reported that Indian refineries temporarily stopped buying Russian oil starting last week. The reasons cited were reduced discounts and US President Donald Trump's statements about possible sanctions. He said the US would impose 25% tariffs on India.
Bloomberg reported that as of August 1, at least four tankers carrying Russian oil were stranded off the coast of India. However, according to the New York Times, despite Trump's threats, India will not stop buying Russian oil. Later, it became clear that the Indian authorities had not ordered refineries to stop purchasing Russian oil.
For more details on the situation, read the RBC-Ukraine report "Will Trump punish India over Putin’s oil? Can sanctions stop the war in Ukraine?"
