US Finance Minister Scott Besant on Tuesday accused India of selling Russian oil by selling Russian oil again, but spared China for doing so.
The comment has come at a time when US President Donald Trump has imposed a total of 50 percent fee on India, after which the tension in Indo-US relations has increased. It also includes 25 percent fee on the purchase of Russian oil, which will be applicable from August 27.
Besant while answering a question on CNBC about separate treatment of China and India for Russian oil procurement said that China’s oil imports from Russia have increased by only three percent after the Russia-Ukraine war, while India’s oil imports from Russia have increased by more than 40 percent.
Besant said, “India is only making profiteering, they are selling it again … they earned an additional profit of $ 16 billion … some of India’s richest families (have earned a profit) (have earned).” He said, “It has started during the war to sell Indian arbitration i.e. cheap oil and sell it as a product … It is absolutely unacceptable.