Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump has claimed that India will be buying oil from Venezuela, a move he said would help Caracas economically while shifting New Delhi away from Iranian supplies. Trump made the remarks while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during a late-night flight on January 31 from Joint Base Andrews to Palm Beach, Florida.
Responding to a question on Venezuela, Trump said his administration was “getting along well” with the country’s leadership. “We’ve already made a deal,” Trump said. “India is coming in, and they’re going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran,” he claimed. However, New Delhi has not yet made any announcement regarding this.
Early this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone with the interim Venezuelan leader. Trump told reporters that China would also be welcome to purchase Venezuelan oil. “China is welcome to come in and buy oil,” Trump said, suggesting broader international participation in Venezuela’s energy sector.
The comments place India at the centre of a potential shift in global energy flows, with Trump explicitly linking Indian oil purchases from Venezuela to a reduction in Iranian exports. He did not provide details on timelines, volumes, or the structure of the arrangement, describing it as the “concept of the deal.”
Trump said Venezuela stood to benefit financially from expanded oil sales.
