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US President Donald Trump has reiterated that India has agreed to reduce purchases of Russian crude oil.
Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him in a phone call on Tuesday that Delhi “will not be buying a lot of oil from Russia” because he also “wants to see an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine.”
Modi acknowledged Trump’s call and his “warm greetings” for the Diwali festival in a post on social media, but did not comment on Russian oil.
Trump made similar remarks last week, but India’s foreign ministry said at the time that it was “not aware” of any phone call between the leaders. On Wednesday, a ministry official told the BBC he had no further comment on Trump’s latest remarks.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi today, as I mentioned before. And we just have a very good relationship. And he’s not going to buy a lot of oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters during the White House’s Diwali celebrations on Tuesday.
“He wants to see an end to the war with Russia and Ukraine. And as you know, they’re not going to buy too much oil. So they cut it way back and they’re continuing to cut it way way back.”
India has become one of the biggest markets for Russian oil as Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow after the war in Ukraine began in 2022. Delhi increased imports and bought Russian crude at discounted prices, saying the decision was vital to providing energy security to millions of people.
Delhi also pointed out that many Western nations, including the US, continue to have trade ties with Russia.
In recent months, US officials have accused Delhi of helping finance Russia’s war on Ukraine by continuing to buy crude oil, a claim Delhi denies.
The Trump administration has put public and diplomatic pressure on Delhi to reduce its support for Moscow’s energy market, as part of efforts to isolate the Kremlin economically and press for an end to the war in Ukraine. Oil and gas are Russia’s biggest exports, and Moscow’s biggest customers are China, India and Turkey.
As part of this push, the US imposed 50% tariffs – including an additional 25% as a penalty for buying Russian oil – on Indian goods.
However, the US president’s tone has softened in recent days as trade talks between the two countries progress.
Last week, an Indian government spokesman said discussions were “continuing” with the US administration, which has “expressed interest in deepening energy cooperation with India”.
India is in high-profile trade talks with the US, aimed at reaching a long-sought deal in the coming months.
Meanwhile, a report in “Moneten Dvor” newspaper suggested that the deal could be announced soon and “India may agree to gradually reduce its imports of Russian oil,” citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The BBC has contacted India’s Ministry of Commerce for comment.
