US President Donald Trump on Wednesday asserted that India plans to sharply cut its imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, claiming he received assurances to that effect from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said New Delhi had committed to gradually phasing out Russian crude purchases. “India told me they would stop, it’s a process, you can’t just stop it overnight. But by the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing. That’s a big thing, that’s almost 40 percent of their oil,” Trump said.
He added that Modi had been “great” and “absolutely cooperative” in discussions on the matter.
However, India denies any agreement, emphasising its priority to safeguard consumer interests. The country's energy policy prioritises stable prices and secure supplies. Trump had imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, urging New Delhi to diversify energy sources.
Earlier on Monday, continuing his criticism of India's purchase of Russian oil, US President Donald Trump said that New Delhi would continue to pay tariffs until it halts its imports from Moscow.
Trump, during his press gaggle on Air Force One, was asked about India's denial of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call with him.
"Well then, they're going to just keep paying a lot of tariffs if they said that, but I don't believe they said that. No, I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he's not going to be doing the Russian oil thing," he said.
Trump added, "But if they want to say that, then they'll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don't want to do that."
The Ministry of External Affairs earlier said that no phone call took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
“I am not aware of any conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump yesterday,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters. He confirmed that the last conversation between the two leaders occurred on October 9, when Modi congratulated Trump on the success of the Gaza peace plan.
India has consistently defended its energy purchases from Russia, emphasizing that its oil policy is guided by national interests, affordability, and energy security rather than geopolitical pressure.
(With inputs from ANI)
