Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump for making statements on India’s behalf regarding imports of Russian crude oil. Speaking to news agency ANI, Tharoor said that New Delhi does not represent Washington and urged Trump to exercise similar restraint in commenting on India’s decisions.
“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,” Tharoor said.
Donald Trump Claims India Will Cut Russian Oil Imports
The Congress leader’s remarks followed statements made by Trump on Thursday, in which the US president claimed that India would significantly reduce its imports of Russian oil by the end of the year.
Describing the reduction as a gradual process, Trump stated, “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,” he said during a press interaction at the White House.
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India Denies Any Agreement
India, however, has denied agreeing to such a reduction, stressing that its energy policy focuses on stable prices and secure supplies to protect domestic consumers.
Responding to queries about whether there was a discussion or telephone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal previously stated, “I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders.”
Donald Trump’s Reiterates Claims on India’s Decision To Buy Russian Oil
This is not the first time Trump has made assertions about India’s policy decisions. Following the US imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, he repeatedly claimed to have spoken with his “good friend” Prime Minister Modi, who, according to Trump, assured him that India would halt oil imports from Moscow.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
