It’s a process: Trump says India will reduce Russian oil imports by year-end

US President Donald Trump said India will “sharply reduce” its imports of Russian oil by the end of this year, citing a personal assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump’s statement hints at a thaw in his tough approach to India, long criticised by Washington for maintaining energy ties with Russia.

Speaking to reporters at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said the reduction would be gradual but significant.

“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,” Trump said.

The US President flagged that nearly 40 per cent of India’s crude imports currently come from Russia.

“India has been great. Spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday, and they have been absolutely great,” Trump added. Trump said the phase-out would be gradual to ensure stability in global markets but expressed confidence it would be completed by year-end.

TRUMP TONES DOWN ON NEW DELHI

Trump’s latest comments mark a notable shift from his previous confrontational tone.

Earlier this week, the US president warned that India would face continued tariffs if it did not halt oil imports from Russia.

“Then they’ll just keep paying a lot of tariffs if they said that, but I don’t believe they said that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Monday. “No, I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing. But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that,” he added.

The US has already imposed 50 per cent tariffs on certain Indian goods as part of its broader effort to press India to diversify away from Russian crude.

This is a developing story.

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