NEW YORK: (Oct 30) US President Donald Trump on Thursday lauded India for its stance on reducing oil imports from Russia, saying New Delhi has been “very good” on that front, even as he accused China of continuing large-scale energy purchases from Moscow.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return from Busan, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump reiterated his claim that India was significantly scaling back its energy dependence on Russia.
“Xi’s been buying oil from Russia for a long time. It takes care of a big part of China,” Trump said. “And, you know, I can say India’s been very good on that front. But we didn’t really discuss oil. We discussed working together to see if we could get that war finished.”
Trump’s comments come amid Washington’s continued pressure on major economies to curb energy trade with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. India has repeatedly defended its imports, citing national interest and global energy market realities.