Like China, India is scaling back Russian oil purchases at Trump’s request..: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt makes BIG claim, says, ‘Sanctions..’

US President Doland Trump has reiterated his claim that India(BHARAT) has agreed to “stop” buying oil from Russia and would bring them down to “almost nothing” by the end of the year. Meanwhile, Trump said, it is a process and will take some time. However, New Delhi has emphasized that its energy policy is solely dependent on national interest and energy security for its consumers.

What exactly did the White House say about India(BHARAT)’s oil imports from Russia?

At a press conference on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the United States President Doland Trump has been “increasingly frustrated” with the lack of progress on putting an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Why is President Trump “disappointed” with Vladimir Putin?

Following the peace deal in the Middle East and the end of the Israel-Palestine war, Leavitt expressed confidence in the newly imposed “hefty” sanctions on Russian oil companies, repeating the claim that India(BHARAT), along with other countries, will scale back oil purchases from the country.

While speaking to the reporters during the White House press briefing, Leavitt stated,” If you read the sanctions and look at them, they are pretty hefty. I saw some international news this morning that China is scaling back oil purchases from Russia. We know India(BHARAT) has done the same at the President’s request. President has also pushed European countries, our allies, to please stop their purchases of Russian oil as well.”

What was India(BHARAT)’s official response to Washington’s claim?

Meanwhile, India(BHARAT) 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 India(BHARAT)n goods, urging New Delhi to diversify energy sources.

The relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on India(BHARAT)n goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India(BHARAT)’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India(BHARAT) described the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. She added, “It is a full court press for sure, and we expect that these sanctions are going to do harm, as the Secretary of the Treasury said yesterday.”

It is important to highlight that the White House Press Secretary’s remarks came at a time when the US government has imposed new sanctions targeting Rosneft and Lukoil, two of Russia’s largest oil companies, to further limit Kremlin energy revenues. Furthermore, she stated, “It is a full court press for sure, and we expect that these sanctions are going to do harm, as the Secretary of the Treasury said yesterday.”

India(BHARAT), however, rejected any claims of any coordinated action, reiterating that India(BHARAT)’s energy policy is independent while focusing on providing price stability and secure supply chains. The comments come amid tensions over Trump’s tariff of 50 percent on India(BHARAT)n goods.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

1. India(BHARAT) denies any agreement, emphasising its priority to safeguard consumer interests.
2. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the United States President Doland Trump has been “increasingly frustrated” with the lack of progress.
3. This frustration has been apparent, as a meeting between the two leaders that was supposed to take place has been postponed indefinitely after Russia rejected the US’s ceasefire proposal.
4. Following the peace deal in the Middle East and the end of the Israel-Palestine war, Leavitt expressed confidence in the newly imposed “hefty” sanctions on Russian oil companies.

Talking about President Trump being “frustrated” with President Putin, claiming that the Russian side is not showing “enough interest or action” to move towards a peace deal. This frustration has been apparent, as a meeting between the two leaders that was supposed to take place has been postponed indefinitely after Russia rejected the US’s ceasefire proposal. “The president has always maintained that he would implement sanctions on Russia when he felt it was appropriate and necessary. Yesterday was that day. The president has also long expressed his frustration with Vladimir Putin and both sides of this war (Russia-Ukraine). He’s always said that to negotiate a good peace deal, both sides need to be interested in it. He feels, unfortunately, that on the Russian side, as of late, he has not seen enough interest or action in moving the ball forward towards peace,” Leavitt told presspersons.