India questions Donald Trump’s claim that Narendra Modi will stop buying Russian oil

India’s foreign ministry said it was “not aware” of a phone call in which US President Donald Trump claimed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil.

Trump on Wednesday said his Indian counterpart “assured me today” that he would stop importing Russian oila move the US has been pushing in an effort to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

But when asked about the conversation on Thursday, an Indian government spokesman cast doubt on Trump’s account, saying he was “not aware of any conversation between the two leaders” held the previous day.

Earlier, the Indian government said it was still “continuing” discussions with the US on oil purchases from Russia.

India has become a key energy customer for Russia since the outbreak of the war, in part allowing the Kremlin to resist the influence of Ukrainian allies who are reducing imports of oil and gas, the country’s biggest export market.

The Trump administration has put public and diplomatic pressure on India to end its support for the Russian energy market as it seeks to increase the Kremlin’s economic isolation and force an end to the war. Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Speaking at the White House on Wednesday, Trump said he had received assurances from Modi on Wednesday that India would stop its purchases “within a short period of time”.

In its initial response, the Indian government did not directly dispute that the conversation between Trump and Modi took place. It reads: “Our consistent priority is to protect the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”

The Indian government’s second response on Thursday raised further questions about whether a deal had been struck between Washington and Delhi.

BBC News has contacted the White House and State Department for comment.

Delhi’s continued dependence on Russian crude, which it imports at a discount, has become a major source of contention in US-India relations under the Trump administration, which has taken a harder line on the war in Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to reach a peace deal with the White House.

India is second only to China in the amount of Russian energy it imports, the financing of which is helping to prevent the collapse of Russia’s critical fossil fuel industry.

Modi’s government has accused Ukraine’s allies of hypocrisy, pointing to continued trade with Russia, including energy imports to the European Union, albeit at reduced levels.

In its latest round of sanctions unveiled this week, The UK government has said it will target a major Indian oil refinery as it “continues to facilitate the entry of Russian oil into world markets”. Officials said India’s Nayara Energy Limited imported 100 million barrels of Russian crude worth more than $5 billion (£3.75 billion) in 2024 alone.