US President Donald Trump has once again turned up the heat on India, warning that New Delhi could face “massive” tariffs if it continues to buy Russian oil. Speaking to reporters, Trump again claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him that India would stop importing crude from Moscow.“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, repeating his claim from the past week.
When asked about India’s stating it had no record of such a conversation, Trump responded, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”The statement adds fuel to Washington’s pressure campaign on countries still trading with Russia, especially in the energy sector, which the US argues is helping fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.India, however, is already feeling the pinch of Trump’s tariff policies. Earlier this year, he raised import duties to 50 percent, targeting a wide range of Indian exports from textiles to pharmaceuticals.But New Delhi isn’t taking the latest claim quietly. The ministry of external affairs swiftly rejected Trump’s remarks, making it clear that India’s energy policy is guided by one goal – protecting the interests of Indian consumers.“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.He further highlighted India’s twin goals of maintaining stable energy prices and ensuring secure supplies: “This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.”Officials added that the Trump administration has expressed interest in expanding energy cooperation with India, and that discussions on the issue are ongoing.
