Clear the air

The flurry of statements from the Oval Office of the White House and India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have caused confusion regarding India’s purchase of oil from Russia. While President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia, the MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal denied that Mr Modi and Mr. Trump had any conversation on the issue.

He however said the two leaders discussed the Gaza peace plan. Oil purchase from Russia is viewed as a major irritant in current Indo-US ties. The Trump administration had been pressing India to discontinue purchase of oil from Russia. While India has continued to view this as interference in its internal affairs, some in the White House have not hesitated to even accuse India of bankrolling the Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff at the White House, one of Trump’s most influential aides, had gone to the absurd length of remarking that it is not accept able for India to continue financing this war by pur chasing oil from Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would do well to deny offering any such commitment to Mr. Trump in keep ing with India’s policy of broad-basing energy supplies in line with the interests of the vast consumer base in India.

Coming clean over the issue would clear the cloud of confusion over India succumbing to US dik tats and the sovereignty of the nation being dented in any manner.