Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump’s top aide has accused India of effectively financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow. The statement comes following Trump’s continuous pressure on New Delhi to halt buying Russian oil.
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump’s prominent aides, said on Monday, “What President Trump said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing Russia’s war with Ukraine by purchasing the oil from Moscow.”
Talking to Fox News, Miller said that people will be shocked to know that India is actually tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. He called it an “astonishing fact”.
The Indian Embassy in Washington has not made a statement on the comment. Citing Indian government sources, Reuters on Saturday reported that New Delhi will keep buying oil from Russia despite a US threat.
The 25 per cent US tariff on Indian imports has been effected from Friday. While announcing the tariff, Trump stated that India is Russia’s largest energy buyer, which is a point of contention given the ongoing Ukraine crisis. Trump further claimed that the US would impose a 100 per cent tariff on countries that buy Russian oil without Moscow agreeing on a peace deal with Ukraine.
