Not aware of any discussion between PM Modi, Trump on Oct 15: MEA

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a media briefing on Thursday, stated that he had no knowledge of any phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.  The spokesperson said the country is "broad-basing and diversifying" its sourcing of energy to meet market conditions.  India’s decisions on crude oil procurement are aimed at protecting the interests of its consumers amid a “volatile” energy environment, Jaiswal stated.  "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," Jaiswal added.  “To the best of our knowledge, I am not aware of any conversation between PM Modi and President Trump yesterday,” Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi, hours after the Trump claimed that India would halt purchase of Russian crude oil.

  On Wednesday, Trump had claimed that PM Modi “assured me today” that India would refrain from purchasing crude oil from Russia, describing the move as “a big step” in Washington’s efforts to isolate Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

 

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had previously expressed dissatisfaction with India’s oil purchases from Russia. “So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (PM Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” he said.

 

Trump also noted that India could not “immediately” halt the shipments, calling the shift “a little bit of a process,” but added that the transition “will be over soon.”

 

He emphasised that PM Modi’s assurance was part of a broader diplomatic effort to cut off Moscow’s revenue from energy trade amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Halting India’s oil trade with Russia, he argued, would strengthen international efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

 

“Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump said, adding that pressuring Beijing would be “relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East.”

 

He also reiterated his call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. “All we want from President Putin is to stop this, stop killing Ukrainians and stop killing Russians because he’s killing a lot of Russians,” he said.

 

When asked if he considered India a reliable partner, Trump responded affirmatively. “Yeah, sure. He’s (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” he told reporters.

 

Trump also commented on the recent meeting between his nominee for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, and PM Modi, expressing satisfaction with the interaction. “I think they were great… Modi is a great man. He (Sergio Gor) told me that he (PM Modi) loves Trump,” he said.

 

In August 2025, President Donald Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff on all imports from India in response to its continued purchases of Russian oil. This tariff was implemented in two phases: a 25 per cent "reciprocal" tariff effective August 1, followed by an additional 25 per cent penalty tariff effective August 27, bringing the total to 50 per cent.

 

These tariffs were part of a broader US strategy to pressure countries, including India, to cease importing Russian oil amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump argued that such imports were indirectly funding Russia’s military actions. In response, India criticised the tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable,” asserting its right to secure affordable energy for its population.