US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia — a move he hailed as a “big step” in global efforts to isolate Moscow economically amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said the United States was “not happy” that India was purchasing Russian crude, arguing that such imports were helping finance President Vladimir Putin’s war.
“He (Modi) is a friend of mine, we have a great relationship... we were not happy with him buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue on with this ridiculous war where they've lost a million and a half people,” Trump said in response to a question.
“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. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” he added.
“So ” Trump told reporters during a White House event. “That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”
The US president said India could not halt shipments immediately but added that the phase-out was already underway.
“He can’t do it immediately; it’s a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon,” Trump said, noting that Modi had “assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia.”
Calling Modi “a great man” and “a friend,” Trump praised the Indian leader’s long tenure and political stability.
“India is an incredible country. Every single year, there is a new leader in India, but my friend has been there now for a long time, and he has assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia,” he said.
Trump added that India could resume energy trade with Moscow once the Russia-Ukraine war ends.
“If India doesn’t buy oil, it makes it much easier, and they’re not going to buy — they assured me they will, within a short period of time, not be buying oil from Russia. And they’ll go back to Russia after the war is over,” he remarked.
New Delhi has not officially confirmed Trump’s claim, though the two leaders last spoke on September 16 and October 9.
India is the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels behind China, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
Trump’s comments come nearly two months after Washington imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian imports, citing continued purchases of Russian oil. The tariffs were later doubled to 50 per cent — among the highest in the world — under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer recently suggested that India was already “diversifying away from Russian oil,” adding that the US was “not trying to dictate” New Delhi’s external relations.
“India is a sovereign country. They control their own decisions,” Greer said at the Economic Club of New York.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, warned that US pressure on India and China to curb energy imports from Moscow could backfire.
“If India refuses our energy supplies, it will suffer a certain loss,” Putin said. “The people of a country like India will closely monitor the decisions made by the political leadership and will never allow any humiliation in front of anyone.”
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, has significantly increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Traditionally reliant on Middle Eastern oil, India’s Russian crude imports have surged from under one per cent to nearly 40 per cent of total imports.
New Delhi has consistently defended its position, saying its energy decisions are guided by national security and affordability concerns, and that its stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains “independent and balanced.”
