US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (15 October) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that Delhi would stop buying Russian oil, months after the US imposed punitive tariffs on India over those imports.
“He assured me that no oil would be bought from Russia,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “You know, you can’t do it right away. It’s a bit of a process, but that process will be over soon.”
Part of diplomatic pressure against Moscow
Trump said securing assurances from Prime Minister Modi was part of a broader diplomatic effort to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
“Now we have to get China to do the same,” he said, adding that pressure on Beijing would be “relatively easy compared to what we just did last week in the Middle East.”
Concerns over India’s oil purchases
Trump said he raised concerns with Prime Minister Modi about the continued import of Russian oil to India, which the US sees as indirect financing of President Vladimir Putin’s war.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil,” he said.
New Delhi did not immediately confirm Trump’s account.
Prime Minister Modi has earlier advocated buying oil from Russia, India’s historic partner.
Trump praises relationship with PM Modi
Trump also spoke warmly of his relationship with Prime Minister Modi.
“Maudie is a great man. He loves Trump,” he said, referring to himself in the third person. “I have watched India for years. It is an incredible country and every year you would have a new leader. My friend has been there for a long time.
Customs dispute and diplomatic moves
In August, Trump raised tariffs on Indian imports to the US to 50%, citing the country’s alleged direct and indirect oil imports from the Russian Federation.
On October 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to United States President Donald Trump to congratulate him on the Gaza peace plan, in which both Israel and Hamas agreed to a cessation of hostilities and a prisoner exchange. During the conversation, PM Modi said the two leaders also reviewed the ongoing trade talks and noted “good progress” despite the 50% tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on Indian imports.
Recently, PM Modi also met the new US ambassador and close Trump advisor Sergio Gore shortly after his arrival in Delhi.
Gor said the Trump administration values its relationship with India and expressed optimism after the meeting, pointing to a phone call between Trump and Modi.
Trump has imposed a 50 percent tariff on most exports from India, among the highest of any US trading partner. Since the tariffs were imposed, Indian officials have met with Trump administration officials for trade talks. Tariffs on Indian goods have been doubled from 25 percent on continued imports of Russian oil to New Delhi.
While Washington claims that India’s purchase of Russian oil has helped fund Russia’s war in Ukraine, New Delhi has dismissed the allegations as a double standard, pointing to US trade ties with Moscow.
