Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Thursday criticised US President Donald Trump for publicly claiming that India would cut down Russian oil imports by the end of the year. Tharoor said it was inappropriate for the US President to make statements on behalf of New Delhi.
Tharoor remarked, “It’s not for President Trump to make announcements about India’s decisions. India will speak for itself. We don’t tell the world what Trump will do, so Trump shouldn’t be telling the world what India will do.”
Trump, during a press interaction at the White House on Wednesday while hosting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, claimed that India would “reduce Russian oil imports to almost nothing” by year-end. He said this was based on assurances from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the reduction would be gradual.
“India told me they would stop. It’s a process—you can’t just stop it overnight. But by the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing. That’s nearly 40 per cent of their oil. India has been great; I spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday,” Trump told reporters.
However, Indian officials have denied any such commitment, reiterating that the country’s energy policy is driven by the need to ensure affordable and stable supplies for consumers.
Trump’s remarks come amid his decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and his repeated calls for India to diversify its energy imports.
