Washington/New Delhi, Oct 18: US President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his claim that India has “de-escalated” its imports of Russian oil, saying the country has “more or less stopped” buying crude from Moscow. The remark came during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
“India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore. They have already de-escalated and have more or less stopped; they are pulling back. They bought about 38 per cent of the oil, and they won’t be doing it anymore,” Trump said.
Earlier this week, Trump had asserted that he was “assured” India would stop purchasing Russian oil, though he acknowledged that the transition “couldn’t be done immediately.”
“He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia… You can’t do it immediately. It’s a process, but it’s going to be over soon,” Trump said, adding that India’s decision would make it “much easier” to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “great man,” and described India as “an incredible country.”
However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday dismissed Trump’s claim of any telephonic conversation with PM Modi.
Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Regarding the comment from the US on the energy issue, we have already issued a statement which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump.”
India began importing Russian crude in larger volumes after 2022, though China remains Moscow’s largest energy buyer.
The Trump administration recently imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian oil imports from Russia but has not taken similar action against China.
Trump’s comments come as an Indian trade delegation is in Washington for a fresh round of talks on bilateral trade and energy cooperation. According to India’s Commerce Ministry, the country can import $12–13 billion worth of crude oil and natural gas from the US without altering refinery configurations.
The trade discussions follow recent meetings between the new US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, and top Indian leaders, including PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi.