India to buy more US oil, cut Russian imports under trade deal, Leavitt claims

A day after the US lowered tariffs on India, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt repeated the claim that India has agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and shift its crude imports to the DC following direct talks between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Leavitt said New Delhi had committed to ending Russian oil imports and increasing purchases from the US.

She also said that India could buy oil from Venezuela, which she believes would be beneficial to American workers and industries, as Washington currently oversees key aspects of Venezuelan oil trade.

WHITE HOUSE LINKS OIL SHIFT TO TRADE TALKS

Addressing the media, Leavitt said the agreement followed a direct phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.

Leavitt framed the deal as part of a broader effort to strengthen US economic interests and reduce India’s dependence on Russian energy supplies, especially in the context of ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Alongside the energy arrangements, Leavitt said India had also committed to large-scale investments in the United States. She claimed that New Delhi plans to invest around USD 500 billion across sectors such as transportation, energy, and agriculture. She presented this as a major outcome of the talks, calling it a significant boost for American infrastructure and manufacturing.

In a separate interview with Fox News, Leavitt repeated these claims and highlighted what she described as President Trump’s personal role in securing the agreement. She said the deal included commitments on energy imports, investments, and trade access, all of which, she argued, would benefit the US economy.

TRUMP ANNOUNCES TARIFF CUT, PRAISES MODI

Her remarks come amid renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and New Delhi after a year of diplomatic tensions over tariffs.

The US President announced on Sunday that he and PM Modi agreed to reset trade terms after weeks of pressure over India’s purchases of Russian oil. In Trump’s account, tariffs on Indian goods fall to 18 per cent, and an extra 25 per cent penalty tied to Russian oil is removed.

Following the announcement, PM Modi confirmed the tariff reduction. He welcomed the decision and said Indian products would now face lower duties in the US market. However, the other terms of the deal are unclear so far.

INDIA SAYS AGRICULTURE, DAIRY INTERESTS REMAIN PROTECTED

While the White House has highlighted the deal as a major economic breakthrough, Indian officials have focused on domestic safeguards.

On Tuesday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said sensitive sectors such as agriculture and dairy had been protected under the agreement. Addressing reporters, he said Prime Minister Modi had consistently worked to safeguard the interests of farmers and rural workers.

Goyal said the government was confident that the deal would create opportunities without harming vulnerable industries. He also claimed there was widespread public support for the agreement, based on feedback from different parts of the country.

Notably, while US officials have repeatedly claimed that India has agreed to halt Russian oil purchases, New Delhi has not issued any formal statement confirming such a commitment.

Russia's spokesman Dmitry Peskov also claimed that it had heard no official statements from India about halting purchases of Russian oil and that Moscow intended to develop its strategic partnership with New Delhi.

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With inputs from agencies