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India has pushed back on claims from President Donald Trump that the country will begin phasing out its purchases of Russian oil, denying any recent agreement or conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US president on the matter.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, President Donald Trump has upped the pressure on both Europe and India to halt their purchases of Russian oil, arguing that the continued flow of funds from energy sales is fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine. India is now the largest buyer of Russian crude oil and enjoys significantly discounted prices due to international sanctions imposed on Russia. Trump has repeatedly accused India of enabling Russia’s war economy, saying they are undermining efforts to economically isolate the Kremlin. In response, Trump imposed a 25% tariff in August, which he later doubled to 50%.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, Indian officials are directly contradicting President Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And [Modi] assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step.” He added that the shift would take place “within a short period of time.” Despite this, India’s Ministry of External Affairs quickly pushed back, with spokesman Randhir Jaiswal telling reporters the government was “not aware” of any such conversation.
In a separate statement, the ministry emphasized that “Our consistent priority is to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”
The conflicting narratives come at a sensitive time, as the US and India are engaged in fragile negotiations over a long-stalled trade deal. US trade officials say Trump has made cutting off Russian oil purchases a precondition for any final agreement, but India has remained firm in defending its energy policy. Behind closed doors, Indian negotiators have reportedly signaled openness to reducing oil imports from Russia, but public commitments have been avoided due to domestic political risks.
