Highlights:
- Trump says India will buy Venezuelan oil instead of Iranian crude
- Comment made aboard Air Force One en route to Florida
- No immediate response from the Indian government
- Remarks come amid US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela
- India continues to diversify oil imports, including Russian crude
President Donald Trump has claimed that India will be purchasing oil from Venezuela instead of Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while flying to Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday (31), Trump made the remarks while responding to a question about whether China would recover money it had lent to Venezuela in exchange for oil supplies.
“China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil. We welcome China. We've already made a deal. India is coming in, and they're going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So we've already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” he said.
There was no immediate reaction from New Delhi to Trump’s comments.
India had been a major buyer of Iranian oil until 2019, when imports were significantly reduced following the reimposition of US sanctions on Tehran.
Trump’s comments come against the backdrop of US sanctions on Iran and Venezuela and Washington’s pressure on major energy-importing countries to avoid buying crude from nations under restrictions.
In recent years, India significantly increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude, making Russia one of its largest oil suppliers.
The US has imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India, including 25 per cent linked to its purchases of Russian oil.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (30) held a telephone conversation with Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez, during which both leaders agreed to further deepen and expand bilateral ties.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the two leaders agreed to expand and strengthen the India-Venezuela partnership across areas including trade and investment, energy, digital technology, health, agriculture, and people-to-people exchanges.
“Both leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest and underscored the importance of their close cooperation for the Global South,” the MEA said.
