Trump Claims Modi Assured Him India Will Stop Buying Russian Crude; New Delhi Yet To Confirm

US President Donald Trump claimed today (15 October) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally assured him that India will stop purchasing Russian crude oil.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described it as "a big step" and said the change would happen "within a short period of time," though he acknowledged it couldn't be done immediately.

“He [Modi] is a friend of mine, we have a great relationship … we have a great relationship – no, we were not happy with him buying oil from Russia because that let Russia continue on with this ridiculous war where they’ve lost a million and a half people,” Trump said from the Oval Office as he criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.

“I was not happy that India was buying oil, and (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump added.

“He’s assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia – I don’t know, maybe that’s a breaking story, can I say that?” Trump continued.

“There will be no oil, he’s not buying his oil from Russia, it started – you know, you can’t do it immediately, it’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon," he added.

The announcement comes despite substantial recent purchase data showing India's continued reliance on Russian supplies.

Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, accounting for roughly one-third of the country's total oil imports.

Data from analytical agency Kpler revealed India spent $2.92 billion on Russian crude oil in September alone, with imports at approximately 1.6 million barrels per day.

The Indian embassy in Washington has not responded to requests for comment on whether such a commitment was actually made.

Russia remains India's top crude oil supplier at 34 per cent of total energy imports, making any immediate halt economically challenging for the world's third-largest oil consumer.

Trump's claim follows months of escalating pressure on India, including the imposition of 25 per cent tariffs in August on Indian exports to the US as punishment for Russian oil purchases.

India has become Russia's second-largest oil buyer since Western sanctions began in 2022, with imports rising more than 20-fold from pre-war levels.

For months, Indian officials have defended the purchases as vital to national energy security, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stating India would continue buying Russian oil based on what "suits us best. "

The claim raises questions given Trump's documented history of false statements.

Fact-checkers at The Washington Post documented 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first presidential term, averaging 21 per day.

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