Former US President Donald Trump on Saturday commented on unconfirmed reports that India may have stopped importing oil from Russia, calling it a “good step” if true. Speaking to ANI, Trump said, “I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That’s what I heard, I don’t know if that’s right or not. That is a good step. We’ll see what happens.”
His remarks come despite no official confirmation from India. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that the country’s energy decisions are guided by market dynamics and national interests, and that it had no specific information on any halt in Russian oil imports by Indian companies.
Earlier, Trump had made a pointed remark while discussing an oil partnership with Pakistan, saying, “We are in the process of choosing the Oil Company that will lead this Partnership. Who knows, maybe they’ll be selling oil to India some day!”
India, however, dismissed such remarks and reaffirmed its independent foreign policy. Responding to Trump’s repeated criticism of India-Russia ties, the MEA said, “Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership.”
