NEW DELHI: Is India denying President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him on Wednesday promising to stop buying Russian oil?

According to local news reports, hours after Mr Trump claimed that Mr Modi assured him in a call on Wednesday that New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, India’s Ministry of External Affairs “clarified” that no conversation between the two leaders took place “yesterday”.

Earlier, in a statement, the foreign ministry said that its import policies are guided entirely to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario.

“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 MEA spokesperson said in the statement.

Foreign ministry ‘clarifies’ no conversation took place between the two leaders

“Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” he said, reiterating India’s position since early 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

“Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the spokesperson added.

Mr Trump, while talking to reporters on Wednesday during a White House event, said, “This is a war that should have never started, but it’s a war that Russia should have won in the first week, and they’re going into the fourth year. And I want to see it stop.”

“So, I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he [PM Modi] has assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. You know, you can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon,” he said.

“That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” he said, adding that pressuring Beijing would be “relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East”.

The US president was referring to the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners under a peace plan brokered by him, the Indian Express said.

“If India does not buy oil, it makes it [ending the Russia-Ukraine war] easier. They have assured me that within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they will go back to Russia after the war is over,” Trump said.

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The US president further said that he raised concerns with PM Modi about India’s continued imports of Russian oil, which the US sees as indirectly funding President Vladimir Putin’s war. “I was not happy that India was buying oil,” he said.

Trump also spoke warmly of his relationship with PM Modi.

“Modi is a great man. He loves Trump,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. “I’ve watched India for years. It’s an incredible country, and every single year you’d have a new leader. My friend has been there now for a long time.”

Trump’s claim has come amid ongoing talks for a trade deal with India, and almost two months after the US imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India over those oil imports, the Indian Express said.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025