Trump clarifies India's status on Russian oil imports
Photo: Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump said that India will not be buying much oil from Russia, noting that the country has already reduced such purchases and continues to do so, according to a White House broadcast.
Trump said he had spoken with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing their relationship as very good. He added that the Indian leader also wants to see an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Regarding Russian oil, Trump emphasized that India has been reducing its purchases and will continue to do so.
"India is not going to buy much oil from Russia. They want to see the war end just as much as I do. They won’t be buying much oil - they’ve cut it down and are continuing to cut," the US president said.
Has India stopped buying Russian oil?
A week earlier, Donald Trump stated that Narendra Modi had allegedly assured him that India would no longer buy oil from Russia.
However, several media outlets reported that Indian companies had not received official instructions to reduce their purchases.
In response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil, Trump recently imposed a 50% tariff on imports from India. On October 20, he said he intends to maintain the tariff until the country completely stops buying Russian oil.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that India is gradually shifting away from Russian crude. Indian company Reliance Industries has been increasing its purchases of Middle Eastern oil and is preparing to place more orders in the near future.
