India is funding Russia's war in Ukraine by buying oil from Moscow, the accusation came from a close aide to US President Donald Trump, after the latter called on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil.
In a statement to Fox News, Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of the president's most trusted advisors, harshly criticized India for, as he said, being one of the closest partners of the United States but not accepting their products.
"What Trump said very clearly is that it is unacceptable for India to continue to finance this war by buying Russian oil. People will be shocked to learn that India is practically tied to China in buying Russian oil. This is a startling fact. India defines itself as one of our closest allies but does not accept our products," Miller said.
Miller's criticism was one of the strongest comments yet from the Trump administration regarding one of the US's key partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Indian government sources told Reuters news agency on Saturday that New Delhi would continue to buy oil from Moscow despite the threats.
A 25 percent tariff on Indian goods went into effect Friday over purchases of military and energy equipment from Russia. Trump has threatened 100 percent tariffs on U.S. imports from countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow agrees to a peace deal with Ukraine. (A2 Televizion)
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