The Kremlin on Tuesday responded to US President Donald Trump’s claim that India would stop buying Russian oil following the announcement of a trade deal with Washington, saying it had received no such indication from New Delhi so far. This comes after Trump's announcement on a trade deal between Washington and New Delhi, claiming that India will no longer purchase oil from Russia. India has not said anything on the oil trade part yet.
"So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told media personnel in Moscow, as per AFP.
Value ties with India: Russia
Peskov said Russia valued its relationship with India and would continue to develop its strategic partnership.
"We respect bilateral US-Indian relations. But we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India. This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi," he said.
Trump's claims on India-US trade deal and Russian oil trade
India and the US have agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will reduce reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from the current 25 per cent, US President Donald Trump said on Monday after a phone call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Modi said he was pleased that Made in India products would now face a reduced tariff of 18 per cent.
While India has confirmed the tariff reduction aspect of the deal, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcoming the move after a phone call with Trump, there has been no official statement from New Delhi on halting oil imports from Moscow.
India emerged as the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude after the Ukraine war began in 2022.
The move drew criticism from Western countries, which imposed sanctions on Russia’s energy sector in an effort to limit Moscow’s revenues and constrain its ability to finance the war.
Also read: PM Modi signed India-US trade deal under Trump's pressure: Rahul Gandhi
