Indian PM Unaware of Modi Agreeing to Halt Russian Oil Purchases
U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Trump’s visit to India, February 25, 2020. Photo by Dan Scavino / Executive Office of the President of the United States. Public domain.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not held any recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, India’s Foreign Ministry said, refuting Trump’s statement that Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil, Orda.kz reports.
Speaking at the White House on October 15, President Trump said that he had personally spoken with Modi and secured a pledge that India would stop purchasing Russian crude.
So 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’re going to get China to do the same thing,
Trump said.
Washington had earlier imposed hefty tariffs on Indian imports over its continued purchases of Russian oil, after Trump threatened secondary sanctions on countries trading with Moscow unless it made progress toward peace in Ukraine.
The U.S. president claimed that India’s decision would help the United States broker a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, though he admitted that negotiations have been difficult.
“But if India doesn’t buy oil, it makes it much easier,” Trump said, adding that India would “go back to Russia after the war’s over.”
However, India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal is unaware of any such conversation.
To the best of our knowledge, I am not aware of any conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump yesterday,
Jaiswal told reporters during a press briefing on October 16.
He also emphasized that India’s import policies are guided by national interests, not foreign pressure.
India’s energy imports are determined by the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. The current (U.S.) administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,
Jaiswal said in a separate statement earlier the same day.
India’s clarification came amid uncertainty over the authenticity of Trump’s remarks.
At the same time, news surfaced that India's oil refineries are prepping to cut Russian oil intake come December. There have been no formal instructions to do so.
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