‘Trump shouldn’t tell what India will do’: Tharoor slams US Prez’s Russia oil claim; asserts New Delhi can make its own announcements | India News
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday hit back at US President’s repeated claims that India will sharply cut Russian oil imports by year-end, saying, “Donald Trump shouldn’t tell what India will do.“Tharoor asserted that Trump should not announce India’s decisions, as New Delhi does not speak for the United States.“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,” the Congress MP told ANI.His comments came after Trump on Wednesday again claimed that India would reduce its Russian oil imports by the end of the year, citing assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Trump described the phase-out as a “gradual process,” asserting that India would bring imports “down to almost nothing.”“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,” Trump said during an interaction with reporters at the White House while hosting Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte.The statement came after the US sanctioned two major Russian oil companies demanding an immediate ceasefire from Moscow.India, however, has consistently denied any such agreement, stressing that its energy policy prioritises stable prices and secure supplies for consumers. The comments also follow Trump’s earlier imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods and his calls for New Delhi to diversify its energy sources, criticising the country’s ongoing purchase of Russian oil.
