Kremlin Hits Out At US Prez Trump For Threatening India For Buying Russian Oil

Russia has hit out at the US after it warned India of revising tariffs over buying oil from Russia and said that such threats are illegal, Reuters reported.

Dmitry Peskov, Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, stated that the countries have the right to choose their trade partners and pressure against Russia's trade partners will be considered as threats.

"We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal," Reuters quoted Peskov as saying.

"We believe that sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners, partners for trade and economic cooperation, and to choose for themselves the forms of trade and economic cooperation that are in the interests of a particular country," he stated.

It comes after US President Donald Trump warned India of revising tariffs if it stops buying oil and military products from Russia.

"India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," the US President said in a social media post.

On the other hand, India has responded to US and the European Union's threats to New Delhi as "unjustified and unreasonable".

"The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the Ministry of External Affairs stated.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Command of the Indian Army has shared a historical document highlighting the longstanding pattern of US military support to Pakistan.

It has posted an old newspaper clipping dated August 5, 1971, which revealed how the US had been supplying arms to Pakistan for decades, particularly during the lead-up to the 1971 war.