Washington: A senior official of Trump administration accused India of financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil, NDTV reported.
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Trump's aides, blamed India appearing on Fox News' ‘Sunday Morning Futures’ saying the country is imposing ‘massive’ tariffs on American goods. Miller also accused of India of ‘cheating’ the US immigration system.
Miller’s remarks came just as the Trump administration is escalating pressure on India to stop buying Russian oil.
India however stood the ground with PM Modi urging the nation to buy local goods as New Delhi pointed to continue buying Russian oil.
At a rally in Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi said ‘the world economy is going through many apprehensions - there is an atmosphere of instability,’ adding that ‘Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.’
Following India’s defiant stand against US pressure, Miller stated that Trump made it clear that ‘it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia’.
‘People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact,’ Miller said.
In a more conciliatory tone Miller claimed that President Trump wanted ‘a tremendous relationship and has had always a tremendous relationship with India’.
‘But we need to get real about dealing with the financing of this war...So, President Trump, all options are on the table to deal diplomatically, financially and otherwise with the ongoing war in Ukraine, so we can achieve peace, he added.
The Trump administration has imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian exports to the US alongside threatening more action in the event of India continues to buy Russian oil.