US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to India’s ambassador-designate Sergio Gore to make it clear where his loyalties should lie.
Speaking at a joint press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said: “We have a new ambassador to India here. They are well represented. You (designated US ambassador to India, Sergio Gore) represent us better, don’t you… But Sergio will do a great job. He will do a great job…”
In August this year, Trump nominated Sergio Gor as India’s next ambassador and special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs.
Trump further praised the outcome of a recent meeting between US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gore and the Indian leader. In a joint press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump reflected on India’s leadership and its evolving global stance, particularly on oil trade with Russia.
Responding to a question by ANI about Gor’s discussions with PM Modi, Trump remarked, “I think they were great… Modi is a great person. He (Sergio Gor) told me he (PM Modi) loves Trump.”
President Trump highlighted India’s cooperation with the US on energy issues and said that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that Delhi would soon stop importing oil from Russia.
“He assured me that there will be no purchases of oil from Russia … He is not buying his oil from Russia … He cannot do it immediately. It is a bit of a process, but the process will end soon,” the president said.
Trump further emphasized that ending India’s oil trade with Russia would strengthen international efforts to end the conflict in Ukraine.
All we want from President Putin is to stop it, stop killing Ukrainians and stop killing Russians because they are killing many Russians,” he said, while calling the hostility between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “major obstacle.”
“I think we will get them. If India doesn’t buy oil, it will be a lot easier… They won’t buy oil from Russia and after the war is over, they will go back to Russia,” Trump added, hinting at optimism that India’s stance could help de-escalate tensions.
Focusing primarily on the administration’s efforts to tackle violent crime in the US, the briefing also gave Trump an opportunity to highlight the strengthening US-India relationship and his continued personal connection with Prime Minister Modi.
