A day after India cleared the air that no conversation took place between the US President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Donald Trump repeated his claim that New Delhi is “not going to be buying Russian oil anymore.” During a bilateral lunch with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House on Friday, the Republican leader reiterated his comments about PM Modi’s “assurance” to halt Russian oil imports.
Trump told reporters that India had “already de-escalated and more or less stopped” its oil purchases and is now pulling back entirely. “India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore, and Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline that’s been there for years, and they’re inland; they don’t have sea, and I spoke with their leader… but India will not be buying oil from Russia,” he claimed.
The US President further added, “They already de-escalated and more or less stopped. They are pulling back. They bought about 38 per cent of the oil, and they wouldn’t be doing it anymore.” His remarks came in reference to the mounting geopolitical pressure on countries to cut off their energy ties with Russia in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine.
Trump’s Big Claim
Earlier on Wednesday (October 15, 2025), Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed to him that India would stop buying oil from Russia. He described the move as a ‘big step’ in a bid to marginalize Moscow economically. “He just said that two days ago, as you know. I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step,” Trump said while responding to ANI’s question on whether he considered India a reliable partner.
MEA’s Response
In an official statement, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India’s import policies are entirely driven by the goal of ensuring stable energy prices and securing reliable supplies. To achieve this goal, India focuses on broadening and diversifying its energy sources to adapt to changing market conditions, the statement noted.
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