Trump Says PM Modi Assured India Will Stop Buying Oil from Russia

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, a move he described as “a big step” in efforts to ramp up global pressure on Moscow.

Speaking at a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, Trump highlighted his administration’s work to curb violent crime and responded to questions about India’s energy ties with Russia.

“Yeah, sure. He’s (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” Trump told ANI when asked if he considered India a reliable partner. “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing.”

Reiterating his personal rapport with PM Modi, Trump added, “He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. He just said that two days ago, as you know.”

The President also criticised India’s past oil imports from Russia, arguing that such trade helped sustain the ongoing war in Ukraine. “We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they’ve lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly,” Trump said.

India has consistently defended its purchases of discounted Russian crude, citing the need to maintain energy security and affordability amid global price volatility.

Calling the war “unnecessary,” Trump remarked, “This is a war that should have never started, but it’s a war that Russia should have won in the first week, and they’re going into the fourth year. And I want to see it stop.”

He continued, “Modi assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now I got to get China to do the same thing.”
Drawing parallels with his recent diplomatic engagements, Trump added, “You know, that is relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East. Middle East was 3,000 years, and we got it done. This is three years.”

Expressing optimism about ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump said, “I think President Putin wants to get it done. We’ll see.”

Commenting on tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, he added, “There’s great animosity between him (Putin) and Zelensky, and I think it’s hurting the process.”

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