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Indian authorities have expressed skepticism regarding claims made by Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to stop buying Russian oil.

Trump's Statements and India's Reaction

Earlier this week, Donald Trump stated that Modi had assured him “today” that India would discontinue its purchase of oil from Russia.

“I was displeased that India was purchasing crude, and he [Modi] has assured me on this day that they will not be buying oil from Russia. You know, it cannot happen instantly. It’s a little bit of a process, but the transition is going to be completed shortly,” the former president told reporters.

Nevertheless, in a media conference on Thursday, Indian officials seemed to contradict the US president’s account, clarifying that there was “no telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump yesterday”.

Context of Indo-Russian Ties and Oil Purchases

The South Asian nation, which maintains a close ties with the Kremlin, has become one of the biggest purchasers of Russian crude since the invasion of the Eastern European country.

It has been a significant source of contention with the United States in recent months, since the US president was unable to achieve a peace deal with Moscow.

• During the summer, the American leader imposed some of his highest tariffs on India to penalise its procurement of Russian crude.
• He accused Delhi of contributing funds to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
• India is subject to extra import duties of 25%, in addition to a standard of a quarter.

New Delhi's Stance and Energy Policy

India has publicly stood firm, asserting it would not allow the US determine its fuel requirements or meddle in its partnership with Russia, which dates back to the cold war.

Moscow continues to be the largest supplier of military equipment to the Indian armed forces.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Indian government said discussions with the US over trade and import duties were still in progress.

A official communication by the Indian ministry of external affairs said the main goal was to “protect the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario” and that all strategies were guided by the necessity to diversify and secure India’s energy sources.

Benefits and Repercussions

India has reaped significant benefit from its purchase of cut-price crude from Russia since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor in early 2022, establishing itself as one of its top purchasers globally, second only to China.

Nonetheless, it has led to a severe deterioration in US-India relations.

The White House has increasingly sought to accuse Delhi of bankrolling the Russian president, President Putin's operations against Ukraine, labeling the conflict as “Modi’s war”.

However, on that same day the US president spoke glowingly of the Indian prime minister. “The PM is an exceptional leader. He loves Trump,” he remarked.