US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil, warning that India would continue paying “massive tariffs” if it didn’t.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”
When asked about India’s statement denying any such conversation, Trump responded, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs — and they don’t want to do that.”
The issue of Russian oil has been a sticking point in trade talks between the US and India, with Trump imposing high tariffs on Indian goods partly in retaliation for those purchases. The US government maintains that revenue from Russian oil helps fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
India, however, has become one of the largest buyers of discounted Russian oil since Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
An Indian government official said that trade talks with the US were continuing in a “congenial” atmosphere, though no details were shared. India’s trade ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, as Monday was a public holiday.
Last week, Trump repeated his claim that Modi personally assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. But India’s foreign ministry denied any knowledge of such a call, saying New Delhi’s priority was to protect the interests of Indian consumers.
Meanwhile, a White House official said India has already cut its Russian oil imports by 50%, though Indian sources disputed that claim. They explained that refiners had already placed orders for November and December, meaning any reduction would only be visible by December or January.
According to the data firm Kpler, India’s imports of Russian oil are actually set to rise by 20% this month, reaching 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia boosts exports after its refineries were damaged in Ukrainian drone attacks.
