Trump calls reports of India halting Russian oil purchase 'good step' calls PM Modi a 'good friend'
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Trump calls reports of India halting Russian oil purchase 'good step' calls PM Modi a 'good friend'")
File Photo: US President Donald Trump and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India, February 25, 2020. Photograph: (Reuters)
Trump, when asked if he planned to speak with PM Narendra Modi and if he had a penalty figure in mind, said, "I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard; I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens..."
US President Donald Trump on Friday (Aug 1) claimed to have heard that India may stop buying oil from Russia, calling it "a good step" if true. His statement comes just days after he imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India, saying the US has a massive trade deficit with the country. He also said that India will be paying additional penalties due to its trade relations with Russia. However, in New Delhi, the government pushed back, saying it was its sovereign right to take energy decisions based on national interest and market dynamics.
What did Trump say about India?
The US president, when asked if he planned to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and if he had a penalty figure in mind, said, "I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard; I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens..."
When asked if he was open to negotiating with India, Trump said, "We're talking to them now. We'll see what happens. Again, India was the highest or just about the highest tariff nation in the world, one of the highest, 100 points, 150 points or percentages. So India was one of the highest in the world. They had 175 per cent and higher than that."
However, he emphasised US-India ties and his friendship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi whom he referred to as a "good friend". "As you know, Prime Minister Modi is a friend of mine, but they don't do very much business in terms of business with us. They sell a lot to us, but we don't buy from them. You know why? Because the tariff is so high. They have one of the highest tariffs in the world. Now they're willing to cut it very substantially. But we'll see what happens. We're talking to India now," he said.
What is India's stand on the US tariff matter?
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Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs addressed media reports that some Indian oil firms had paused Russian imports. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he was not aware of any such developments. "You are aware of our broad approach to energy sourcing requirements, that we look at what is available in the market and the prevailing global situation. We are not aware of any specifics," Jaiswal said. The comments come amid growing criticism from Washington over India's continued imports of discounted Russian oil, despite Western sanctions related to the Ukraine war. Both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have publicly voiced concern in recent weeks.
