India on Thursday firmly denied statements made by former US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing oil from Russia. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified that no such conversation between the two leaders had taken place.
“Regarding the comment from the US on the energy issue, we have already issued a statement, which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can confirm that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
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India denied Trump’s claim about talking to PM Modi.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there was no such phone call. https://t.co/zWr1lwSMOT pic.twitter.com/2aWLuATMpY
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Trump’s remarks came during a White House press briefing, where he praised PM Modi as “a great man” and India as “an incredible country.” He suggested that the two leaders had recently spoken and hinted at a possible meeting on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
When asked about the potential meeting, Trump said, “Yeah, sure, he’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship.” He continued, highlighting India’s political stability under Modi, noting the contrast with the frequent leadership changes he observed over the years.
Claim On Russian Oil Cut From India
In a striking claim, Trump asserted that PM Modi had “assured” him India would stop buying Russian oil. “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. You can’t do it immediately, it’s a little bit of a process—but the process is going to be over with soon. And all we want from President Putin… is to stop this,” Trump said. He added that India’s shift away from Russian oil could help ease the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The former President also introduced Sergio Gor, the newly appointed US Ambassador to India, during the briefing. “We have the new ambassador to India right here. They’re well represented. You better represent us, not them, okay? But Sergio is going to do a great job,” Trump said.
In response, the Indian government reiterated its long-standing stance on energy imports, emphasizing that New Delhi’s decisions are guided by national interests and the welfare of Indian consumers, not foreign pressure.
“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. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” the MEA said in a written statement.
The ministry stressed that India’s energy security strategy is built on two pillars: stable prices and assured supply. “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,” it added.
Regarding energy cooperation with the United States, the MEA noted that India has long sought to expand engagement in the sector. “Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the statement said.
