Trump claims Modi promised to end India’s oil purchases from Russia; here's how MEA responded

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia, calling the move a “big step” toward tightening global pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the US was “not happy” that India continued purchasing Russian crude, which he argued was helping fund President Vladimir Putin’s war effort.

“He (Modi) is a friend of mine, we have a great relationship... we were not happy with him buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue on with this ridiculous war where they've lost a million and a half people,” Trump said.

“I was not happy that India was buying oil, and (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” he added.

India is the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels after China, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Describing Modi as “a great man,” Trump added with characteristic flair: “He loves Trump... I don’t want you to take the word love any differently... I don’t want to destroy his political career.”

Trump praised Modi’s leadership, saying India had seen frequent leadership changes before him.

“I have watched India for years... every single year you would have a new leader,” Trump claimed.

To be sure, before Modi, Manmohan Singh was India’s prime minister for 10 years.

“My friend has been there now for a long time, and he’s assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia.”

Trump said the phase-out of Russian crude would take time but was already “underway.”

“He (Modi) has assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia... He can't do it immediately; it’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon,” Trump said.

He added that India could resume oil trade with Moscow once the war ended.

“If India doesn’t buy oil, it makes it much easier... they assured me within a short period of time they will not be buying oil from Russia. And they’ll go back to Russia after the war is over,” Trump said.

MEA reiterates India’s energy security stance

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Ministry of External Affairs emphasised that the country’s oil import policy was guided by the need to safeguard consumer interests amid a volatile global energy market.

“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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

“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 added.

Jaiswal also noted that energy cooperation with the United States had deepened over the years, and discussions were “ongoing” under the current administration.

India’s Russian oil purchases grew after 2022 invasion

India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, ramped up imports of discounted Russian crude following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. With Western sanctions limiting Russian exports to Europe, India’s share of Russian oil in total imports surged from less than 1% before the war to nearly 40%.

Despite Trump’s criticism and the US imposing new tariffs on Indian goods, data suggests India’s crude imports from Russia remained steady in September.

According to vessel-tracking data from analytics firm Kpler cited by The Indian Express, India imported about 1.73 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude between September 1 and 16, up from 1.66 million bpd in August and 1.59 million bpd in July, when Trump began criticising New Delhi’s energy ties with Moscow.

Crude loadings at Russian ports during the same period stood at 1.22 million bpd.

Since contracts for Russian crude are typically finalised six to eight weeks before delivery, September’s volumes likely stem from deals made in July.