United States President Donald Trump has said that India has already made a deal to buy oil from Venezuela, while adding that China is also welcome to purchase Venezuelan crude, remarks that have drawn attention amid shifting global energy and geopolitical dynamics.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed that India would be buying Venezuelan oil instead of sourcing it from Iran. He said the arrangement was already agreed in principle and described it as part of a broader understanding being shaped by Washington.
“China is welcome to come in and make a great deal on oil. We have already made a deal. India is coming in, and they are going to be buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran,” Trump said, reiterating that the concept of the deal was already in place.
The Indian government has not yet issued any official response to Trump’s comments.
Earlier, Trump had stated that Venezuela had offered the United States 50 million barrels of oil, valued at about USD 5.2 billion, an offer he said Washington accepted. Addressing the media during an event marking the renaming of Southern Boulevard to Donald Trump Boulevard, he said Venezuelan authorities had approached the US citing a lack of storage capacity and the need to process the oil immediately.
Trump also spoke of what he described as a strong relationship with Venezuela’s interim government, which was formed after the US captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during a military operation. He said tensions had eased significantly following the change in leadership.
After Maduro’s capture, Trump had earlier asserted that the United States would effectively oversee Venezuela during a transition period and would require full access to the country’s oil resources and other strategic assets.
His remarks appear to align with a recent report by New York based news outlet Semafor, which said the US has completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil worth around USD 500 million. According to the report, the revenue from these oil sales is being held in bank accounts controlled by the US government, with one key account reportedly located in Qatar.
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