US President Donald Trump has again claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India will stop buying oil from Russia. Trump repeated this statement for the third time in five days, saying, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”
Trump made this comment while speaking to reporters on Air Force One. However, India has denied that any such phone call between Modi and Trump took place.
When asked about India’s denial, Trump warned, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Linked to Ongoing Trade Talks
Trump’s latest statement comes at a time when trade talks between India and the US are ongoing. The US President had earlier imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports — part of which was meant to pressure India over its oil trade with Russia.
According to Trump and his officials, India made large profits from buying cheap Russian oil during and after the Russia–Ukraine war.
India Denies Trump’s Claim
After Trump’s remarks, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a statement saying that the country’s oil imports depend on national interest and the goal is to protect Indian consumers.
The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said, “I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders,” denying that Modi and Trump spoke recently.
