India not going to buy much oil from Russia, says US President Donald Trump

US President Trump and PM Modi discuss trade, India's Russian oil imports, and regional issues in Diwali call; PM reiterates India-US partnership and anti-terror stance

US President Donald Trump dialled Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning to extend his Diwali greetings, and later told 

reporters at the White House that the two discussed trade issues, and India’s conflict with Pakistan.

 

Unlike last week, when Trump had claimed that India would stop all its purchases of Russian crude oil, the US President suggested that New Delhi would curb its procurement of Russian energy rather than completely halting it. He said India will not buy “much oil from Russia”.

 

In his comments at the White House, Trump said that Modi and him “talked about trade, we talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade. He’s very interested in that. Although we did talk a little while ago about “let’s have no wars with Pakistan”.

 

 

“I think the fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about it then, and we have no war with 

Pakistan and India and that was a very, very good thing, but he’s a great person and he’s become a great friend of mine over the years,” the US President said.

 

On India’s purchase of Russian oil, Trump said: “I spoke to Prime Minister Modi.... We just have a very good relationship, and he's not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that 

(Russia-Ukraine) war end as much as I do.”

 

The Indian side did not elaborate on whether the two leaders discussed trade and New Delhi’s procuring of Russian oil. Official sources in New Delhi, however, said Pakistan was not discussed during the phone conversation.

 

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said that Modi thanked Trump for his “warm Diwali greetings and a personal phone call”. The PM “emphasised the enduring strength of the India-US partnership, and reiterated India’s unwavering commitment to combating terrorism and fostering international cooperation,” it said.

 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the PM said: “Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope, and stand united against terrorism in all its forms.”

 

The content of the phone conversation suggested that Trump has softened his criticism of India, especially on New Delhi’s purchases of Russian energy, but his claims on Pakistan having been discussed indicated continued trust deficit between the two sides. It becomes important in the context of the uncertainty over whether the PM would be attending the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur, which begins on Sunday.

 

Trump has said he will travel to the Malaysian capital. Modi has skipped only one EAS since 2014. In 2022, then Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar represented Modi at the EAS in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Despite Malaysian ministers having spoken about Modi's attendance, sources suggested the chances were bleak given his commitments to Bihar.

 

Wednesday’s phone call was the third between the two leaders since September 16 that both sides have publicly acknowledged amid intense trade negotiations, and the White House slapping a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including a 25 per cent penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil that New Delhi terms unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.

 

On October 16, hours after Trump had claimed that Modi assured him of India stopping all its purchases of Russian oil in a phone call, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it was unaware of any such phone call between the two leaders.

 

On Tuesday night, Trump hosted a Diwali celebration that was attended by Indian ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra, and several prominent Indian-origin business leaders.

 

Two weeks ago, US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor met PM Modi in New Delhi. Following the meeting, Gor said the US "values" its relationship with India. The ambassador-designate also held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri before meeting Modi.

 

According to reports, India and the US trade negotiators have narrowed their differences, which could see the White House slashing tariffs substantially so that Indian exports, such as shrimps and textiles, remain competitive compared to its rivals in these sectors. 

Breaking ice, one phone call at a time

 

Sep 16: US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 75th birthday, thanking him for “support in ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.” Modi, in turn, reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership and supporting peace efforts in Ukraine.

 

(This ended a chill since their June phone call conversation on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, where Modi had declined a White House invite. Indian officials disputed Trump’s claims of having mediated to resolve the India-Pakistan conflict.)

 

Oct 9: In a phone call, Modi congratulated Trump on the Gaza peace plan and discussed progress in trade talks. “Agreed to stay in close touch over the coming weeks,” the PM posted on X. 

On Oct 16, the MEA said it was unaware of any phone call between the two leaders after Trump had claimed in a press conference at the White House, where he asserted that Modi “assured” him that they (India) “will not be buying oil from Russia”.

 

(The MEA did not directly respond to Trump’s claim on India’s purchases of Russian oil, but said New Delhi is “broad-basing” its energy sourcing.)

 

Oct 22: Trump dialled Modi to wish him on Diwali. He said the two discussed trade ties, and signalled that India would gradually reduce its Russian oil purchases rather than halt these completely.

 

Trump claimed the two also spoke about the conflict with Pakistan, but official sources in New Delhi said Pakistan was not discussed.

 

 In his post on X, Modi thanked Trump for his phone call and Diwali greetings.

 

(With agency inputs)