On Sunday, October 19, former U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would scale back its Russian oil purchases. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump stated, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” repeating a claim he made earlier in the week.
India, however, has maintained that it is unaware of any such discussion between Modi and Trump. When questioned about India’s denial, Trump responded, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Trump linked India’s continued purchases of Russian oil to high U.S. tariffs, noting that half of the 50% tariffs on Indian goods were imposed in retaliation for those transactions. The U.S. government has argued that revenue from petroleum sales helps fund Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, making it a sticking point in trade discussions between the two countries.
This ongoing disagreement underscores the complex geopolitical and economic challenges surrounding global energy trade and its role in international diplomacy.
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