US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will cease purchasing Russian oil, months after Washington imposed punitive tariffs over the imports.
“He’s assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia,” Trump stated, adding, “You can’t do it immediately—it’s a process—but it’ll be over soon.” Responding to ANI’s question on whether he views India as a reliable partner, Trump said, “Yes, sure. He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. I wasn’t happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me they will stop. That’s a big step. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same.”
Speaking at a joint press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, Trump reiterated his criticism of India’s earlier oil imports from Russia, arguing that they prolonged the war in Ukraine. “We weren’t happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that allows Russia to continue this ridiculous war. They’ve lost about one and a half million people, mostly soldiers,” he said.
Calling the conflict “a war that should have never started,” Trump added, “Russia should have won in the first week, and now they’re entering the fourth year. I want to see it stop. So I was not happy that India was buying oil.”
Commenting on PM Modi’s recent meeting with US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor, Trump said it went “great” and praised Modi’s leadership. “Modi is a great man. Sergio told me he loves Trump. I’ve watched India for years—it’s an incredible country. They used to have new leaders every few months, but my friend has been there for a long time now,” he remarked.
Trump also said ending India’s Russian oil purchases would make it easier to stop the war. “All we want from President Putin is to stop killing Ukrainians and Russians. The hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin is a big obstacle, but I think we’ll get there. If India doesn’t buy oil, it becomes much easier. They’ll return to Russia only after the war is over.”
Revisiting his claim about preventing a nuclear clash between India and Pakistan, Trump said Pakistan’s Prime Minister recently praised him for saving millions of lives. “He said right here in this office that the President saved millions of lives. He was referring to the near-nuclear war between India and Pakistan—seven aircraft were shot down. It was getting very close,” Trump said.
