President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India will stop buying Russian oil, calling it “a big step,” according to remarks to reporters at the White House.
However, Indian officials on Thursday appeared to contradict the president’s claim. A spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said he was “not aware” of any conversation between Trump and Modi on Wednesday, The Washington Post reported.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
Instead, the ministry issued a statement that its priority was “to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario.” They did not directly address the Russian oil situation.
Tariffs and trade pressure tied to Russian oil
Politico reported that Trump imposed a 25% tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement. Then, because of India’s purchases of Russian oil, Trump added another 25%. India objected because other major buyers of Russian crude, such as China and Turkey, were not similarly penalized.
The Post noted that this dispute has driven U.S.-India relations to their “lowest point in decades.”
How much Russian oil has India been buying?
Before the Ukraine war, India imported less than 1% of its oil from Russia, but that share has surged to about 40% as Moscow discounted crude under sanctions, the Guardian reported. Trump said the halt could not happen “immediately,” describing it as “a little bit of a process,” but added “the process will be over with soon,” according to Politico.
China pressure and broader policy signals
Earlier Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration may increase tariffs on China if Europeans agree to do the same, accusing Beijing of “fueling the Russian war machine,” The Wall Street Journal reported.
Trump also said on Wednesday, “Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” referring to stopping purchases of Russian oil, the Guardian reported.
Diplomatic context and potential next steps
The announcement followed a meeting days earlier between Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, and Modi, during which they discussed defense, trade and technology. According to the Post, the leaders’ last known call was Oct. 9.
A possible Trump–Modi meeting at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Malaysia this month is also being considered.
In India, Trump’s remarks stirred criticism from Modi’s political opponents.
A spokesperson for the main opposition party said in a post on X that “Mr. Modi appears to have outsourced key decisions to America,” adding that the prime minister’s stature had “shrunk and shrivelled,” the Post reported.
