'China cutting back substantially... India completely': Trump repeats Russian oil claim

US President Donald Trump on Saturday reiterated his claims that India is cutting back on its purchase of Russian oil, as he intensifies pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Recently, Trump has imposed sanctions on two of the largest Russian oil firms, Rosneft and Lukoil, claiming that Russia is using the revenue from oil purchases to fund its war in Ukraine.

Trump’s proclamation also came ahead of his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. While speaking to the reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed hope that the discussions would yield a “complete deal," Bloomberg reported.

Trump’s Asia tour comes amid heightened tensions between the US and China over trade, technology, and raw material restrictions, increasing pressure on both nations to reach an agreement that could pause the ongoing trade war. When asked by reporters if Trump would mention China’s Russian oil purchases during his meeting with Xi, the American leader gave an affirmative response.

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“I may be discussing it, but you know China’s — you probably saw today — China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we’ve done sanctions," Trump claimed.

It is pertinent to note that India has consistently rejected Trump's claim that New Delhi would cut down oil imports from Russia, insisting that its priority remains “protecting national interests”.

Trump remains optimistic

The Republican firebrand expressed optimism about the ongoing discussions with Beijing. He mentioned that he would address agricultural trade and China’s role in exporting components used to produce fentanyl.

“I want our farmers to be taken care of, and he wants things also. We’re going to be talking about fentanyl. It is killing a lot of people, a lot of people, it comes from China,” he told reporters while heading to Asia.

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It is pertinent to note that this is not the first time Trump has claimed that India is scaling back its oil purchase. Earlier, the American president proclaimed that India would cut down Russian oil imports by the end of the year, noting that it was a gradual process.

“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop…it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing; almost 40 per cent of the oil,” he said at that time.