As US President Donald Trump claimed that India will stop buying Russian oil imports by year-end, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back by criticising him for making announcements on behalf of New Delhi. Tharoor asked President Trump not to announce India's decisions to the world, as New Delhi does not speak for Washington DC.
'Trump shouldn't tell what India will do': Shashi Tharoor
"I don't really think it's appropriate for Trump to be making announcements about India's decisions. I think India will make announcements about its decisions. We don't tell the world what Trump will do. I think Trump should not be telling the world what India will do," said the Congress MP.
Trump claims India will 'stop' buying Russian oil
US President Trump announced that India will stop purchasing Russian oil by the end of this year. He shared that he had an "absolutely great" conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the matter. This came days after the US President claimed that PM Modi promised him over a phone call that India would stop buying Russian oil, a claim that was later refuted by the MEA.
"India, as you know, told me that they would stop. It is a process; you can't just stop it. But by the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing. That's a big thing, that is almost 40 per cent of the oil. India has been great. Spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday and they have been absolutely great," President Trump said during an interaction with press persons in the White House, while hosting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
However, India denies any agreement, emphasising its priority to safeguard consumer interests. The country's energy policy prioritises stable prices and secure supplies.
This comes in the backdrop of Trump imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, urging New Delhi to diversify energy sources.
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