U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his controversial claim that India would cease purchasing Russian oil, doubling down on the assertion during a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, at the White House.
The U.S. President’s comments, made during arms talks focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine, directly contradict a denial from India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which has firmly asserted its sovereign energy policy.
Trump Repeats Assurance Claim
“Well, India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore,” President Trump claimed on Friday during a press availability with President Zelensky. This statement echoed his earlier remarks from Wednesday at the White House, where he told reporters that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “assured” him personally that New Delhi would stop the purchases.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop,” Trump said on Wednesday. The President’s push to halt the Russian oil trade is part of a broader strategy by Washington to choke off Moscow’s funding for the war in Ukraine. This trade dispute has also seen the U.S. impose steep 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, including an additional 25 percent duty tied to the Russian oil imports.
India Refutes Communication, Cites National Interest
In a strong pushback, New Delhi emphasized its import policies are guided strictly by national interest. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated on Thursday that he was “not aware” of any phone call between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on Wednesday.
In its official statement, the MEA did not directly address Trump’s claim of an assurance but stressed its core mandate: “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.”
The ministry also highlighted India’s “twin energy goals” of ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies through broad-based and diversified sourcing. The contradictory claims intensify the diplomatic tensions between Washington and New Delhi, even as the two nations continue trade negotiations.