United States President Donald Trump has reiterated that India will substantially reduce its imports of Russian oil by the end of this year, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him of the plan during a recent conversation.

Addressing journalists at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Trump described the transition as a gradual “process”, asserting that New Delhi would bring the import volumes “down to almost nothing”.

According to President Trump, India has agreed to phase out its reliance on Russian crude, which he said currently accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the country’s oil imports. “India told me they would stop. It is a process; you can’t just stop it. But by the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing,” the President said, adding that he spoke with Prime Minister Modi “yesterday” and praised New Delhi’s cooperation.

However, Indian officials strongly denied any such assurance or recent communication. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that no phone call took place between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump this week. MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the two leaders last spoke on 9 October, when Modi congratulated Trump on the success of his peace initiative regarding Gaza. Jaiswal reiterated that India’s energy policy is determined by national interest, particularly security of supply and affordability for domestic consumers.

The denial follows President Trump’s earlier remarks aboard Air Force One, where he warned that India would continue to face steep import tariffs until it ended purchases of Russian oil. The President suggested that if New Delhi disputed his claim, it would “keep paying a lot of tariffs”. The Trump administration had previously imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, urging the country to diversify its energy sources away from Russia.

President Trump also commented on China’s ties with Moscow, arguing that previous administrations under Presidents Biden and Obama had inadvertently driven the two nations into a closer partnership. He maintained that Beijing and Moscow were “never meant to be friendly” but were pressed together due to Western policy and energy dynamics.

Looking ahead to his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Trump said he would “probably” discuss Russian oil imports among other topics. His primary objective, however, would be exploring ways to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Trump expressed confidence that Xi could play a major role in persuading Russian President Vladimir Putin to pursue a ceasefire, referring to the Chinese leader as a “strong and respected” figure with “a big influence” globally.

The diplomatic disagreement underscores rising tensions between Washington and New Delhi over energy policy and trade tariffs. While the United States pushes for reduced Russian revenue streams, India remains focused on maintaining energy security amid volatile global markets.

Based On ANI Report