Srinagar, Aug. 2 -- US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed India has reportedly stopped buying Russian oil, calling it a "good step" if true - a statement promptly met with skepticism by Indian officials who said they had no such information.

"I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard, I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We'll see what happens," Trump told reporters in Washington DC.

His remarks follow recent US decisions to penalize India over its oil and defense ties with Moscow, including a new 25% import duty on Indian goods. Both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have previously criticized India for continuing to purchase discounted Russian crude...