Trump Claims India Has Deal to Buy Venezuelan Oil, Welcomes Chinese Interest

America. US President Donald Trump claimed that India has already made an agreement to buy oil from Venezuela. Furthermore, he openly urged China to also buy Venezuelan oil.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, President Trump stated that China is welcome to make a big deal on Venezuelan oil. He mentioned that India is soon entering the process of purchasing Venezuelan oil and plans to import from Venezuela instead of Iran. According to him, the concept of an agreement on this matter has already been formulated.

“We have already made an agreement. India is coming and they are going to buy Venezuelan oil instead of buying from Iran. So we have already made the framework of the agreement,” Trump said. He reiterated that China is also welcome to come in and buy oil. However, the Indian government has not yet formally reacted to President Trump's comment.

Earlier, President Trump claimed that Venezuela had offered the US 50 million barrels of oil worth $5.2 billion USD, and an agreement had been reached. At a press conference held on the renaming of Southern Boulevard to Donald Trump Boulevard, he stated that continuous dialogue is ongoing with the new leadership.

“We are talking to the new president and other people running the country. They said, we have 50 million barrels of oil and it needs to be refined immediately because there is no storage space. Will you take it? I said, we will take it,” Trump said. According to him, the value of that oil is $5.2 billion USD.

President Trump also mentioned that the US has a good relationship with the interim government formed after the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro through military action. “We are on good terms with the person who is the interim president and everyone else. A lot of pressure has been reduced,” he said.

After Maduro's control ended, Trump clarified that Washington wants to assist Venezuela during the transition period and seeks full access to oil and other resources.

President Trump's latest comments also confirm a recent report by the New York-based news agency Semafor. According to that report, the US has made its first sale of Venezuelan oil, valued at approximately $500 million USD.

According to Semafor, the proceeds from the oil sale are currently being held in a bank account under the control of the US government. An administration official indicated this in an order issued on Friday, and according to another senior official, the main account is located in Qatar.