US President Donald Trump has done it again, reiterating his claim that India will "completely stop" buying oil from Russia, even as New Delhi continues to insist that its energy decisions are driven solely by national interest.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump doubled down on his long-standing assertion that India is cutting back on its Russian oil purchases. "You probably saw today, China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we've done sanctions," Trump declared, referring to the fresh US sanctions on Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil.
The remarks came ahead of Trump's scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, part of an Asia tour unfolding amid growing friction between Washington and Beijing over trade, technology, and access to raw materials.
Asked if he would bring up China's oil dealings with Russia, Trump said he "may be discussing it", adding that he hopes the talks will yield a "complete deal".
Trump's latest proclamation adds to a series of similar claims made over the past few weeks. Earlier, he told reporters that India had assured him it would "stop" buying oil from Moscow by the end of the year, though he acknowledged the process would take time.
"India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop It's a process. You can't just stop buying oil overnight. By the end of the year, they'll be down to almost nothing, almost 40 per cent of the oil," he had said.
Repeating that assertion during a White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said, "India, as you know, told me that they would stop. It is a process; you can't just stop it. But by the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing. That's a big thing."
New Delhi, however, has consistently pushed back against Trump's claims, clarifying that India's energy policy remains "independent and focused on ensuring stable prices and reliable supply chains". The government has emphasised that decisions on crude imports are taken keeping national interests in mind, not external pressure.
Source: India Today