Indian Officials Deny Modi-Trump Discussion on Russian Oil
India has challenged former US President Donald Trump`s assertion that it had agreed to stop buying Russian oil. While Trump claimed Prime Minister Modi had assured him of such a deal, Indian officials maintain no such conversation took place.
India has expressed skepticism regarding Donald Trump`s claims that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi yielded to pressure from Washington and committed to ending purchases of Russian oil.
On Wednesday, Trump stated that Modi had assured him «today» that India would discontinue its procurement of Russian oil.
«I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he [Modi] assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. You know, you can`t do it immediately. It`s a small process, but it`s going to terminate shortly,» Trump told reporters, before indicating he would soon persuade China to follow suit.
However, during a press briefing on Thursday, Indian officials seemingly contradicted the former US President`s remarks, stating, «there was no telephone conversation between Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump yesterday.»
India, which maintains strong ties with the Kremlin, emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian oil following the outbreak of the armed conflict in Ukraine.
This situation has been a significant point of contention with Washington in recent months. In August, the US President imposed some of the highest tariffs on India, ostensibly to penalize it for purchasing Russian oil, accusing Delhi of contributing to the financing of Russia`s special military operation in Ukraine. India faces additional import duties of 25% above the baseline 25%.
India has publicly affirmed its refusal to allow the US to dictate its energy needs or interfere in its longstanding relationship with Russia, which dates back to the Cold War era. Russia continues to be India`s primary arms supplier.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian government confirmed that discussions with the US on trade and tariffs were ongoing. A statement from India`s Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that «protecting the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy situation» is a priority, and that all policies are driven by the necessity to diversify and secure India`s energy sources.
India has significantly benefited from acquiring Russian oil at discounted prices since the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022, becoming one of the world`s largest purchasers, second only to China.
Nevertheless, this has led to a notable strain in US-Indian relations. The White House has increasingly sought to blame Delhi for funding Russia`s actions in Ukraine, at times referring to the conflict as «Modi`s war.»
Despite this, the US President spoke highly of Modi on Wednesday, remarking, «Modi is a great man. He loves Trump.»
