Trump condemns India for buying oil from Russia and supporting war

Stephen Miller, an adviser to Donald Trump, has sharply criticized India, accusing it of contributing to the continuation of the war in Ukraine by buying cheap Russian oil. It was one of the harshest statements by American conservatives about a critical US partner in Asia.

Miller, the deputy chief of staff of the White House, said that India’s significant purchases of Russian oil effectively make it an accomplice in financing Russia’s aggressive actions against Ukraine.

He stressed that President Trump has clearly emphasized that India should not continue to finance Russian aggression through oil purchases. According to Miller, many people do not even realize how significant these purchases are: “People will be shocked to learn that India buys almost the same amount of oil from Russia as China. It is shocking.”

Miller also noted that despite the “extraordinary personal relationship” between Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the bilateral policy needs to be reviewed.

Over the past two years, India has become the largest buyer of Russian oil, with imports via sea routes growing to about a third of the country’s total oil imports. The purchases are made at significant discounts, providing India with savings, while Russia receives a stable profit despite sanctions.

Trump has repeatedly spoken of the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on states that maintain energy ties with Russia. Recently, he directly mentioned India, warning of the possible economic consequences if the situation remains unchanged.