US President Donald Trump clarified on Friday that he does not think the United States has "lost India and Russia to China," something he had previously said on his Truth Social platform.
While answering a question from ANI reporter during a media interaction in the White House, Trump expressed unhappiness with India's Russian oil imports and reaffirmed the high tariffs Washington has imposed on Indian products.
When questioned regarding his previous statement indicating that India was tipped towards China, Trump had this to say, "I don't think we have. I've been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia. I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India- 50 per cent, a very high tariff. I get along very well with (PM) Modi, as you know. He was here a couple of months ago, in fact, we went to the Rose Garden and had a press conference."
His statement came shortly after India, Russia, and China leaders made joint appearances at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. Trump then wrote on Truth Social:
"Looks like we've lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!" Trump wrote.
At the same time, Trump's trade advisor Peter Navarro chastized India again, claiming that New Delhi is profiting from Russian crude oil and also claiming the nation's tariffs are leading to American job losses.
"I think that the trade team and the President are disappointed that India continues to fund Russia's Ukraine war...Hopefully, it's a democratic issue, and we'll have positive developments," Hassett said, answering a question from ANI during a media interaction.
India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) refused to comment specifically on Trump's remarks. The MEA spokesperson reiterated, though, that India "continues to remain engaged with the US side on trade issues.
The United States has imposed tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, along with a 25 percent penalty on imports of Russian oil. New Delhi has always asserted that its foreign alliances are driven by national interest and "should not be seen through the eyes of a third country."
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