New Delhi - Saba:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted a defiant tone in the face of US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs, calling on citizens to support domestic products.
Informed sources told Bloomberg that this call comes at a time when his government has not issued any instructions to Indian oil refineries to stop purchasing Russian oil.
These sources confirmed that the government has not made a decision to halt purchases, and that government and private refineries remain free to purchase oil from the sources they prefer, considering that the decision to purchase crude remains purely commercial. Over the weekend, Modi stressed the importance of protecting India's economic interests amid global turmoil. His remarks came just days after the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on Indian exports to the United States, threatening further action if India continued to buy oil from Russia.
"The global economy is in a state of apprehension, and there is an atmosphere of instability. Now, whatever we buy must be of one standard: we will only buy what has been made by the sweat of Indians," Modi said at a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.
India has become one of Trump's top targets as he seeks to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump attacked India last week for joining BRICS and continuing its close ties with Moscow, saying they "could bring down their dying economies together." White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller accused India of imposing "massive tariffs" on American products, "circumventing" the US immigration system, and importing roughly as much Russian oil as China.
The New York Times also reported Saturday that India would continue buying Russian crude despite Trump's threats of sanctions, citing unnamed senior Indian officials. A spokesperson for the Indian Oil Ministry did not respond to Bloomberg's inquiries.
India's purchases of Russian oil have drawn criticism from the European Union and the United States, who view them as pro-Moscow support.