Hours after the US said India was scaling back Russian oil imports at President Donald Trump's request, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal reaffirmed the national position, saying India doesn't sign deals with guns to the head, nor does it decide friends based on considerations other than national interest.

Speaking at the Berlin Global Dialogue, Goyal said trade deals were long-term agreements based on mutual respect and national interest and India was in talks with the EU and the US, but it did not work under deadlines.

Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed India had begun scaling back Russian oil imports. Her comments came on questions around the fresh set of sanctions Washington had imposed on Russia’s top oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil.

"If you read the sanc

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