SOCHI, September 30. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is asking India to abandon Russian oil so that America can come in and sell them its energy products, eliminating one of its top competitors in the process, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on the sidelines of the 22nd annual meeting of the Valdai international discussion club.

"The real reason is that President Trump has declared the need for the United States to actively look out for its national interests. Included in these national interests is the rather aggressive promotion of its commodities on international markets for its partners and ousting its competitors, the Russian Federation in this case, using the war in Ukraine as a pretext," Lavrov said.

India has already reacted to calls to stop buying oil in Russia, the minister noted. "They fundamentally assume that if the United States wants to sell something to India, including oil, then India is ready to sit at the bargaining table and discuss terms. However, how and in what manner to trade with other countries, including Russia, is fundamentally a matter for Russian-Indian relations," Lavrov said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar have already stated that this is their position, the top Russian diplomat said. "I believe this position reflects the national interest, the national dignities of our Indian friends," he added.