NEW DELHI – India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday (Oct 16) that it had “no knowledge” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed during a phone conversation to halt purchases of Russian oil.
On Wednesday (Oct 15), Trump alleged that the Indian leader had “promised me today that he would stop importing Russian oil,” as part of Washington’s efforts to tighten economic pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
When asked about the supposed phone call, the Indian government spokesperson expressed doubt, saying he was “not aware of any conversation between the two leaders that took place yesterday.”
Previously, India said it was still in talks with the United States over its continued purchase of Russian oil. Since the war began, India has become one of Russia’s most important energy customers—helping the Kremlin withstand the impact of Western sanctions and import bans.
The Trump administration has exerted both open and diplomatic pressure on New Delhi to stop supporting Russia’s energy market, as Washington seeks to isolate Moscow economically and force the Kremlin to end the war launched in February 2022.
Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump claimed he had received assurances from Modi that India would soon stop buying Russian oil.
Initially, the Indian government avoided directly refuting the alleged call, saying only that “India’s top priority has always been to protect the interests of Indian consumers amid volatile energy conditions. Our import policy is guided entirely by that objective.”
However, Thursday’s (Oct 16) second statement from New Delhi raised further doubts about whether Washington and New Delhi had actually reached any understanding.
India’s continued reliance on heavily discounted Russian crude has become a key sticking point in U.S.-India relations under Trump’s tougher stance on the Ukraine war, especially after Putin’s failed attempts to strike a peace deal with the White House.
India is the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian energy after China, a trade that has helped prevent Russia’s fossil fuel industry from collapsing. Modi’s government has previously accused Ukraine’s allies of hypocrisy, noting that many of them—including EU members—continue to import Russian energy, albeit at reduced levels.
