A political stir is brewing in India as the Congress party criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reiterated claims about India reducing its Russian oil purchases. The opposition suggested that Modi’s ‘huglomacy’ was notably absent in Kuala Lumpur, drawing attention to his virtual participation in the ASEAN Summit.
President Trump, while en route to Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, informed reporters that India was ‘cutting back completely’ on Russian oil acquisitions. This statement has fueled the ongoing political debate.
Jairam Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, responded sharply. ‘Just last night, on Air Force One heading to Kuala Lumpur, President Trump repeated, for at least the sixth time, his assertion that India is decreasing its Russian oil imports. This time, he even suggested India would bring these imports to zero. It’s hardly surprising that Mr. Modi’s characteristic diplomatic warmth was nowhere to be seen in Kuala Lumpur today,’ Ramesh stated.
Ramesh further amplified his point by sharing a video clip of Trump’s interaction with the media, showcasing the former U.S. President’s consistent remarks regarding India’s stance on Russian oil.
The Prime Minister’s decision not to travel to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, which began on Sunday, and instead participate virtually, had already drawn criticism from the Congress. Last Thursday, the party claimed Modi’s absence was a strategic move to avoid being directly confronted by President Trump.
Adding to his earlier remarks, Ramesh had previously noted that while praising President Trump on social media is acceptable, engaging face-to-face with a leader who has ’53 times’ claimed credit for stopping ‘Operation Sindoor’ and ‘five times’ asserted India’s commitment to cease Russian oil purchases, would be ‘far too risky’ for the Prime Minister.
Malaysia extended invitations to President Trump and leaders from various countries recognized as ASEAN dialogue partners for the summit.
Trump has consistently maintained that India has agreed to ‘halt’ its buying of Russian oil, intending to reduce imports to ‘almost nothing’ by year-end. He acknowledged that this process would take time and mentioned his intention to persuade China to adopt a similar approach.
Currently, China and India stand as the two largest global purchasers of Russian crude oil.