India flatly rejected US President Donald Trump’s assertion on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently promised him over the phone that India would no longer purchase oil from Russia.
The Indian government explained that the two presidents had not lately had such a phone call or chat. Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that PM Modi and President Trump did not speak over the phone about this.
During a White House press briefing, President Trump stated that he had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who promised him that India would stop buying Russian oil soon. In light of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Trump presented this as a significant step in isolating Moscow and stated that it will take some time but be finished shortly.
Trump emphasized his long-standing friendship with PM Modi and said that such a step by India would facilitate efforts to end the war. He also hinted at the possibility of a meeting with Modi during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
The Indian government responded by restating its long-standing stance on energy imports and highlighting the fact that national energy security and Indian customers’ interests, not outside political influences, are the only factors influencing India’s decisions about the purchase of gas and oil.
India is a major importer of gas and oil, and its policies place a high priority on guaranteed supplies and stable pricing, the Ministry of External Affairs emphasized. In order to guarantee energy security in a turbulent situation, India seeks to broaden and diversify its energy sources in accordance with market conditions.
Along with outlining ten years of consistent progress in energy procurement from the US and ongoing talks to strengthen this collaboration under the current administration, the MEA also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance energy cooperation with the US.
In order to guarantee energy affordability and dependability for both nations, the US has shown interest in expanding energy trade with India, including the exchange of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas.
Trump’s comments were part of a larger plan to encourage China and India, two of Russia’s biggest oil buyers, to stop providing Moscow with vital energy profits that support its war in Ukraine. India has refused to acknowledge any promise to stop Russian oil imports and has insisted that its energy purchase decisions are driven by national interests in spite of these constraints.
India adamantly denied having spoken with President Trump over the phone recently about stopping its imports of Russian oil, kept its autonomous energy policy focused on domestic issues, and is still actively working with the US to increase bilateral energy cooperation.
