Trump’s big claim, ‘India has completely stopped purchasing Russian oil’
US President Donald Trump has once again given a big statement regarding the relations between India and Russia, which has created a new stir in international circles. Just before the important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump has claimed that India has completely stopped purchasing Russian oil. They say that this step is a direct result of new US sanctions imposed on Russia’s energy sector.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said, “The sanctions we have imposed on Russia are working. China is drastically reducing purchases of Russian oil, and India… India has completely backed down.” This statement has come at a time when America is continuously putting pressure on the world’s major economies to limit Russia’s revenue.
Why did Trump make this claim?
This statement of Donald Trump is not just a general comment, but it seems to be part of a well thought out strategy of his foreign policy. He is going to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, and before this meeting he wants to show that the sanctions imposed by him are succeeding. By claiming that a big buyer like India has capitulated, Trump is trying to create psychological pressure on China to do the same.
This is not the first time that Trump has made such a claim regarding India’s oil purchase. Even before this he had said that India will gradually reduce its purchases and by the end of this year it will be “almost zero”. This statement of Trump shows his belief that US sanctions can weaken Moscow economically.
India has been rejecting Trump’s claims
No matter what the US President claims, India has consistently and clearly rejected his statements. New Delhi’s stand has been absolutely clear in this matter. The Government of India has repeatedly made it clear that its energy policy is not dictated by any external pressure, but entirely by its national interests and the need for affordable supply to the people of the country.
India has never agreed to any US-led statement calling for a reduction in Russian oil imports. India believes that as a sovereign nation, it has the right to buy oil from any country in the world to meet its energy needs. For New Delhi, energy security is paramount and it will not bow down to any geopolitical pressure.
Trump’s strict action against Russia
Prior to this claim, the Trump administration has imposed new and tougher sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, to increase financial pressure on Russia. The sole purpose of these sanctions is to drain Moscow’s coffers so that it cannot use the money it earns from energy exports for its military operations. Trump’s claim that India has stopped purchases is actually an attempt to send a message to the world about how effective his stringent sanctions are.