Former US President Donald Trump has once again reiterated that India has agreed to reduce its purchase of Russian crude, while speaking to reporters during the White House Diwali celebrations on Tuesday, Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him during a phone call that Delhi "wasn't going to buy much oil from Russia" as he too "wants the war end with Russia-Ukraine". However, while Modi acknowledged Trump's call and his "warm greetings" on the festival of Diwali in a social media post, he didn't comment on Russian oil. This isn't the first time Trump has made such claims. He had made similar remarks last week, but the Indian foreign ministry said at the time it was "not aware" of any phone call between the leaders, while on Wednesday, an official at the ministry told the BBC that it had no new comment on Trump's latest remarks. Trump stated, "I spoke to Prime Minister Modi today, as I mentioned before. And we just have a very good relationship, while and he's not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see the war end with Russia-Ukraine, while and, as you know, they're not going to be buying too much oil. So they've cut it way back and they're continuing to cut it way back.
India's Energy Security and Western Pressure
India became one of the biggest markets for Russian oil as Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow after the Ukraine war started in 2022. Delhi increased its imports and bought Russian crude at discounted prices, saying the decision was vital to provide energy security to millions of its people. Delhi has also pointed out that many Western nations, including the US, continue to have trade ties with Russia. In recent months, US officials have accused Delhi of helping to fund Russia's war against Ukraine by continuing to buy crude oil, a claim that Delhi denies.
Trade Negotiations and Potential Reductions
The Trump administration has put both public and diplomatic pressure on Delhi to reduce its support for Moscow's energy market, as part of efforts to economically isolate the Kremlin and push for an end to the war in Ukraine, while oil and gas are Russia's largest exports, and Moscow's biggest customers include China, India and Turkey. As part of this pressure, the US has imposed 50% tariffs – including an additional 25% as a penalty for buying Russian oil – on Indian goods. However, the US president's tone has softened in recent days as trade negotiations between the two countries progress, while a report in the Mint newspaper suggested that a deal could be announced soon and "India may agree to gradually reduce its imports of Russian oil.