Washington: US President Donald Trump on Sunday, October 19, warned that India would continue to face “massive tariffs” if it persisted with the continued import of Russian oil, claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would step back from the trade.
President Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, according to a report by Reuters.
Trump Claims Modi Assured Him India 'Would Not Buy Russian Oil'
Reiterating his earlier stance, Trump said Modi had conveyed that India would not engage in the Russian oil trade. “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.
When asked about the Indian government’s denial of any such discussion, 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.”
Earlier on October 15, the US president had said that Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil after Washington imposed additional tariffs in response to these imports. “He's assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia. You know, you can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon," Trump had said at the White House.
'Modi Is a Great Man’
Despite his sharp warning, Trump also praised the Indian prime minister, calling him “a great man” and “a friend”. “Modi is a great man. He loves Trump. I've watched India for years. It's an incredible country, and every single year you'd have a new leader. My friend has been there now for a long time," he said.
Trump has repeatedly criticised India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian oil, arguing that such imports indirectly aid Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. “I was not happy that India was buying oil,” he said, underscoring that Washington expects its partners to align with its trade sanctions against Russia.
