India’s foreign ministry has stated it is “not aware” of a phone call where US President Donald Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil. This statement casts doubt on Trump’s assertion, made on Wednesday, that Modi had “assured me today” that India would cease its Russian oil imports in the near future. The US has been actively encouraging India to reduce its reliance on Russian energy as a measure to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
When questioned about the alleged conversation on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Indian government indicated they were “not aware of any conversation between the two leaders” that took place the previous day. Earlier, the Indian government had mentioned that discussions with the US regarding its oil purchases from Russia were still in progress.
India has significantly increased its energy purchases from Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, a move that has been seen as helping Russia’s economy withstand international sanctions. The Trump administration has been vocal in its efforts to persuade India to curtail its energy dealings with Russia, aiming to isolate the Kremlin economically and pressure an end to the war.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday from the White House suggested that Modi had guaranteed India would stop these purchases “within a short period of time.” India’s initial response to this claim did not directly deny the conversation but emphasized its consistent focus on protecting Indian consumers in a volatile energy market, stating that import policies are guided solely by this objective.
However, the Indian government’s subsequent statement on Thursday has intensified questions about the certainty of any agreement between Washington and New Delhi on this matter. BBC News has reached out to the White House and the State Department for comments.
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