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'No reason to believe Indian friends changed': Big Russia remark after Trump's oil claim on trade deal
On February 2, Trump announced a trade deal with India, and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop the country's oil trade with Russia.
Days after US President Donald Trump claimed that India would end its oil trade with Russia as part of the recently finalised trade deal between New Delhi and Washington, Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the country has no reason to believe India would make this move.
On February 2, Donald Trump announced a trade deal between India and the US, ending suspense on months of negotiations between the countries. Trump said that reciprocal tariffs on Indian imports will be cut down to 18% under the deal and also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop India's oil trade with Russia.
India later confirmed the cutting down of tariffs, but didn't acknowledge Trump's other assertion, on the future of India-Russia energy ties.
Russia remains hopeful of ‘Indian friends’
Days after Trump's claims, Russia's Zakharova said that Trump was trying to “dictate” what an independent country should do and that Moscow didn't believe its “Indian friends” have changed their approach on energy ties with Russia.
“The US President trying to dictate who an independent nation like India can trade with is not new. Russia has no reason to believe our Indian friends have changed their approach,” Zakharova said, adding that the trade of resources was beneficial to both India and Russia.
"We remain convinced that India's purchase of Russian hydrocarbons is beneficial to both countries and contributes to maintaining stability in the international energy market. We are ready to continue close cooperation in this area with our partners in India," she added, as quoted by news agency PTI.
‘India free to buy oil from any country'
While Zakharova showed faith that India wouldn't alter its energy trade policies following Trump’s oil claim, Russia’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov presented a different take, saying India was free to buy oil from any country.
"We, along with all other international energy experts, are well aware that Russia is not the only supplier of oil and petroleum products to India. India has always purchased these products from other countries. Therefore, we see nothing new here," Dmitry Peskov said, according to PTI.
India's oil trade with Russia was a big flashpoint in the economic tensions between New Delhi and Washington. Last year, Trump had doubled the tariffs on India to 50% citing this oil trade.
As he announced a trade deal with India this month, Trump asserted that India has agreed to stop the energy trade with Moscow, a development he said would help end the war in Ukraine.
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The 25% reciprocal tariffs on Indian imports were cut down to 18% under the deal and a White House official later confirmed to HT that the remaining 25% additional penalties on were also taken off.
India has so far not reacted to Trump's oil trade claim. According to Peskov, Russia has not received any statements from India regarding the cessation of Russian oil purchases.
