U.S. President Donald Trump recently praised India’s performance in curtailing its oil imports from Russia, confidently stating that New Delhi is on track to substantially decrease its energy acquisitions from Moscow.
Addressing journalists aboard Air Force One during his return to Washington after a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, Trump responded to inquiries regarding global Russian oil purchases.
Trump noted that President Xi Jinping’s China has long been a major consumer of Russian oil, fulfilling a significant portion of its energy needs. He then highlighted India’s commendable efforts in this area, stating, “India’s been very good on that front.” However, he clarified that their primary discussion focused on collaborative efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict.
For several days, Trump has repeatedly asserted that India has provided him with assurances of a substantial reduction in its Russian oil imports.
Just last week, Trump emphasized his earlier statements, claiming that India had committed to “stopping” its oil purchases from Russia, aiming to bring them to “almost nothing” before the year’s end.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has previously stated that as a major importer of oil and gas, India’s consistent priority is to protect the interests of its consumers amidst a fluctuating global energy market.
The MEA clarified, “Our import policies are driven entirely by this objective. Our energy policy is fundamentally rooted in ensuring stable prices and secure supplies. This involves actively broadening our energy sources and diversifying them as needed to adapt to changing market conditions.”
“Regarding the U.S.,” the MEA concluded earlier this month, “we have consistently aimed to expand our energy procurement for many years, a process that has seen steady progress over the past decade. The current U.S. administration has expressed a keen interest in strengthening energy cooperation with India, and these discussions are actively continuing.”