Trump Claims India Has ‘De-escalated’ Russian Oil Purchases During Talks With Zelensky

US President Donald Trump on Friday restated his assertion that India has ‘de-escalated’ its purchases of Russian oil, during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

“India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore. And they have already de-escalated, and they have more or less stopped; they are pulling back. They bought about 38 per cent of the oil, and they won’t be doing it anymore,” Trump stated.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US President had claimed he was ‘assured’ that India would halt oil imports from Russia, acknowledging that the process would not happen ‘immediately’.

“He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia…You can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin is…stop this,” Trump asserted.

The US President further added that India’s decision to cease Russian oil purchases would make it ‘much easier’ to bring an end to the ongoing conflict.

“Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war’s over,” Trump noted.

The US President went on to describe Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘great man’ and called India ‘an incredible country’.

India Refutes Trump’s Claim of Phone Conversation

However, on Thursday, India dismissed Trump’s claim of a telephonic conversation between him and Prime Minister Modi.

Trump had earlier alleged that PM Modi had ‘assured’ him during a phone call that India would stop buying Russian oil.

When questioned about this, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing, “Regarding the comment from the US on the energy issue, we have already issued a statement, which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump.”

India began purchasing Russian oil in recent years, while China remains Moscow’s largest energy buyer.

In August, the Trump administration imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for its oil imports from Russia, while exempting China from similar action.

Trump’s remarks come as India’s trade delegation is in Washington for the next round of negotiations with US officials.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Ministry noted that India could import an additional $12–$13 billion worth of crude oil and natural gas from the US without modifying its refinery configurations.

The government is seeking to diversify its energy imports, provided supplies are available at the ‘right price’.

The trade discussions in Washington follow recent meetings between the new US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, and top Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi.

Also Read: Trump Praises PM Modi As ‘Great Man’; Signals Willingness To Meet At ASEAN Summit