US President Donald Trump has once again repeated his claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia. This marks the third time in five days that Trump has made this assertion — even as India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly denied any such conversation took place.
During an interaction aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters,
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”
His remarks came amid ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States. When asked about India’s denial of his statement, Trump added,
“If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
According to Reuters, Trump’s comment refers to his administration’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports, introduced as part of a broader strategy to pressure Russia over its war in Ukraine. Earlier, 25% of these duties had been imposed in August as an additional penalty on India’s energy trade with Moscow.
India Responds: ‘No Such Conversation Took Place’
Soon after Trump’s claim gained attention, the MEA issued a statement clarifying that no phone call took place between the two leaders on this subject.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said,
“I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders.”
The official statement further added that India’s energy policy remains independent and guided by the needs of its citizens.
“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”
Trump’s Earlier Remarks
Trump’s first statement on this topic came during a press event last week, where he claimed that PM Modi had “assured” him that India would no longer buy oil from Russia.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step,” he said, adding that the change would take place “within a short period of time.”
The former president later repeated the claim again during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asserting,
“Well, India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore.”
Background: India’s Oil Trade with Russia
India has consistently maintained that its oil imports from Russia are driven by national interest and affordability, especially amid global price fluctuations. Several US officials have previously suggested that India made “significant profits” on discounted Russian crude during the ongoing conflict.
However, New Delhi continues to emphasize that its energy policy is based on economic stability and consumer protection, not political pressure.
Quick Summary (for Meta Snippet):
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Trump Claim: Says Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil.
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India’s Response: MEA denies any such call took place.
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Context: Remarks coincide with ongoing India–US trade negotiations and tariff disputes.
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Background: India continues to import oil from Russia citing national interests.
