Trump Claims India Will Cut Russian Oil Imports to Nearly Zero by Year-End

Trump's Assertions on India's Oil Purchases

Washington: President Donald Trump has reiterated his statement that India is set to significantly reduce its oil imports from Russia, aiming to bring them down to 'almost nothing' by the end of the year.

He emphasized that this transition will take time, describing it as a process.

Trump also expressed his intention to persuade China to follow suit, noting that both China and India are the largest consumers of Russian crude oil.

During a press briefing at the White House, he stated, 'India has informed me they will stop purchasing Russian oil... It’s a process. You can’t just stop... By year-end, they’ll be down to nearly nothing, about 40 percent of the oil. India has been fantastic. I spoke with Prime Minister Modi yesterday, and they’ve been absolutely great.'

For several days, Trump has been asserting that India has committed to significantly cutting its oil imports from Russia.

The US government has accused India of aiding Putin's war efforts through its ongoing purchases of Russian crude.

Tensions between New Delhi and Washington have escalated after Trump imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, raising them to 50 percent, which includes an additional 25 percent duty on India's Russian oil imports. India has labeled these actions as 'unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.'

In his upcoming discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump plans to address strategies for resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

'What I’ll really be discussing with him is how we can end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether through oil, energy, or other means. I believe he will be very open to this,' he remarked.

Trump characterized the relationship between China and Russia as 'a little bit different,' suggesting that while it has never been strong, it has been influenced by previous US administrations' policies.

'China has a somewhat different relationship with Russia. It was never good, but due to Biden and Obama, they were pushed together. They should not have been forced into this alliance... By nature, they cannot be friendly... I hope they are, but they can't be... Biden and Obama brought them closer due to energy and oil,' he explained.

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea later this month.

Defending his trade policies, Trump credited tariffs with bolstering the US economy.

'Our country is thriving right now because of tariffs. For decades, tariffs have been used against us, slowly harming our nation. That’s why we owe USD 37 trillion. Thanks to tariffs, we are now a wealthy nation, bringing in revenue like never before,' he stated.

He asserted that tariffs are crucial for America's prosperity, claiming, 'Without tariffs, the US would become a third-world country. I cannot allow that to happen. With tariffs, we are a rich, secure nation; without them, we would be a laughing stock.'

Trump also claimed that tariffs have played a role in preventing conflicts.

'I resolved eight wars. Of those, five or six were due to tariffs,' he stated.

Reiterating his assertion that he helped de-escalate the recent military tensions between India and Pakistan, Trump claimed he told both nations, 'If you want to fight, that’s fine. But you’re going to pay tariffs.' He said they called him two days later to say they would not engage in conflict anymore, resulting in peace.

Trump has frequently repeated his claim of having 'helped settle' the recent military conflict between India and Pakistan, while India maintains that the agreement to cease hostilities in May was reached through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries.