Moscow hit back at US President Donald Trump after he accused China and India of bankrolling Russia’s Ukraine war through oil imports, calling his remarks an attempt to push expensive American energy.
Moscow — The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s criticism of China and India over their continued purchases of Russian oil, framing his remarks as self-serving and profit-driven.
“Trump is a businessman, and he is trying to force the world to buy American oil and gas at higher prices,” a Kremlin spokesperson said in a pointed response.
The exchange followed Trump’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he declared: “China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil.” The US president has urged allies and trade partners to cut energy ties with Moscow, insisting that sanctions pressure is the only way to choke off Russia’s war machine.
Both Beijing and New Delhi have expanded energy imports from Russia since the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, taking advantage of discounted crude. Washington, meanwhile, has sought to increase its own global market share of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), especially in Europe after Russian supplies were cut back.
The Kremlin’s rebuttal highlights a deepening clash between energy geopolitics and wartime diplomacy:
- Russia portrays Trump’s remarks as an economic maneuver rather than a moral stand.
- China and India argue they are acting in their national interest, securing affordable energy.
- The US and EU maintain that Russia’s oil revenue directly fuels its military campaign in Ukraine.
With oil prices already volatile, Trump’s criticism and Moscow’s counterpunch add new tension to an already fractured global energy market.
