‘False and fabricated’: Defence Ministry denies reports of India pausing US arms talks

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing turbulence in bilateral relations following the high tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Defence Ministry sources have denied reports that India has paused its plan to buy US arms. 

Although there has been no official clarification on this sensitive issue but the Defence Ministry sources called these reports “false and fabricated.”

“The news reports on India pausing the talks related to defence purchases with the US are false and fabricated. It is clarified that the various cases of procurement are being progressed as per the extant procedures,” a Defence Ministry source said.

The news report also claimed that India had been planning to send Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Washington in the coming weeks for an announcement on some of the purchases, but that trip has now been cancelled.

Trump had, on Aug 6, imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods for importing Russian oil, which he claimed was funding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

That raised the total duty on Indian exports to 50 per cent - among the highest of any US trading partner. The tariff war, observers claim, has put India-US bilateral relations in troubled waters.

The clarifications come a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, after the latter met several Russian officials.

India and Russia share strong ties in several domains-primarily in defence and strategic ties. The two countries stressed their commitment to a “strategic partnership” during bilateral security talks, held a day after Trump announced higher tariffs on Indian imports in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.  (IANS)

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