US envoy Sergio Gor makes BIG statement on India's oil imports, expresses confidence on interim trade deal

New Delhi: US ambassador Sergio Gor said on Friday that India has made a commitment regarding Russian oil purchases as part of a trade deal with the US President Donald Trump, thus diversifying energy sourcing. He also expressed confidence that PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will sign the interim trade agreement “very soon”. 

“On the oil, there’s an agreement. I also don’t want to be giving out too much, in the sense that what private conversations happened...between the two leaders. We have seen India diversify its oil. There is a commitment,” Gor told the media on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit.

“This is not about India. The US doesn’t want anyone buying Russia. The President has been very clear on this – he wants to end this [Russia-Ukraine] war. So anyone who is, in a way, still involved with that conflict is something that the President wants to see come to an end in hopes of peace coming with that,” he added.

What did Russia say?

Meanwhile, Russia has categorically stated that India has not given any indication of stopping its crude oil purchases. Russia rejected the US claim that India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil. Russia said it has not seen any change in India's policy. This statement comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently claimed that India had promised to stop importing oil from Russia.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Russia has no reason to believe that New Delhi has changed its position on energy imports. According to her, India's purchase of Russian hydrocarbons is beneficial for both countries and maintains stability in the international energy market.

How did Russia respond to US claims?

Maria Zakharova also said that there is nothing new in the US claims. She alleged that the US often tries to pressure independent countries. Recently, the US administration has stated that India has agreed to halt oil imports from Russia, and as a result, tariff relief has been granted on some Indian goods. US President Donald Trump's administration has also indicated that New Delhi has promised to reduce or halt purchases of Russian crude oil.

What is India's official stance?

The Indian government has not yet issued a clear statement on this issue. It has not been clarified whether any agreement with the US includes halting oil imports from Russia. New Delhi maintains that every decision related to energy purchases will be made keeping in mind national interests and the best deal. For now, Russia has clarified that it has not noticed any change in India's policy and that energy trade between the two countries continues as before.