Washington DC [US], October 24 (ANI): The White House has repeated its claim that India has reduced purchases of Russian oil at the request of US President Donald Trump, as the administration expresses frustration over the slow progress toward a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.
Speaking at a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “If you read the sanctions and look at them, they are pretty hefty. I saw some international news this morning that China is scaling back oil purchases from Russia. We know India has done the same at the President’s request. President has also pushed European countries, our allies, to please stop their purchases of Russian oil as well.”
However, India has denied any formal agreement, emphasizing that its energy policy prioritizes stable prices and secure supplies to safeguard consumer interests.
Leavitt highlighted President Trump’s frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting Moscow’s lack of sufficient action toward a peace deal. “The president has always maintained that he would implement sanctions on Russia when he felt it was appropriate and necessary. Yesterday was that day. The president has also long expressed his frustration with Vladimir Putin and both sides of this war (Russia-Ukraine)… He feels, unfortunately, that on the Russian side, as of late, he has not seen enough interest or action in moving the ball forward towards peace,” she said.
While a meeting between Trump and Putin is “not completely off the table,” the White House insists any engagement must produce a “tangible positive outcome.” Leavitt added, “The president wants to make sure that a meeting between himself and President Putin will be a good use of his time… He wants to see action, not just talk. He’s been saying it for nine months now, since being in office, and he’s grown increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress.”
Meanwhile, the US has imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. Russia condemned the move as an “unfriendly” action unlikely to improve relations with Washington. President Vladimir Putin described the restrictions as having little impact on Russia’s economy and accused the US of repeatedly using sanctions to exert pressure. “No self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure,” he said, questioning whose interests within the US administration were behind the restrictions. (ANI)
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