Amid rising tensions over high tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, Defence Ministry sources have denied claims that India has paused its plan to buy arms from the United States.
Although no official statement issued, Defence Ministry sources strongly dismissed the reports.
“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,” said a ministry source.
The clarification comes amid a diplomatic chill following Trump’s announcement of an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods for importing Russian oil. The new levy raised total duties on Indian exports to 50 per cent, one of the highest among US trading partners.
A news report claimed that India cancelled Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s upcoming visit to Washington, where they expected to announce a major defence deal. However, officials rejected this and reiterated that defence procurement talks are ongoing.
Defence analysts say the claim of halting arms purchases risks damaging India-US defence ties, which have expanded rapidly in recent years.
The denial came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Moscow. Doval also met several senior Russian officials.
India and Russia, long-standing partners in defence and strategic areas, reaffirmed their commitment to their ‘strategic partnership’ during these security talks. The meeting took place just a day after Trump raised tariffs in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, further testing India-US defence ties.
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