Putin’s oil or Trump’s concessions—which way will India lean?

ছবিঃ সংগৃহীত

News Desk: As part of a recently concluded trade agreement between India and the United States, New Delhi has agreed to stop purchasing oil from Russia, according to a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump.
However, the Kremlin has said it has not yet received any official statement or signal from India regarding a halt to energy purchases. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Russia respects the bilateral relationship between India and the United States, but at the same time places the highest priority on maintaining its “special and privileged strategic partnership” with New Delhi.
He made it clear that Moscow remains committed to further strengthening its bilateral ties with India.
On Monday (2 January), President Trump announced that tariffs on Indian goods had been reduced from 50 percent to 18 percent. In return, India agreed to stop buying oil from Russia and instead import oil from the United States and Venezuela.
According to Trump, this understanding with Prime Minister Modi would help bring an end to the Ukraine war, as it would reduce Russia’s capacity to finance the conflict. Trump had made a similar claim last year as well, although it did not yield results at the time.
For a long time, India has maintained its position as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude oil. Currently, India imports around 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil per day, which accounts for more than one-third of the country’s total energy imports. The Indian government has consistently described this trade relationship as essential for the country’s energy security.
Historically, India’s relationship with Russia has been centered on defense cooperation, but in recent years India has made significant use of the opportunity to obtain discounted Russian oil. As recently as December last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a visit to India, had pledged uninterrupted energy supplies despite pressure from the United States.
Source: NDTV