A top Indian official cast doubt on President Donald Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned to say his country would end its purchases of Russian oil.
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters during a weekly media briefing Thursday that he was unaware of a conversation between Trump and Modi the previous day. He also said in a statement that “discussions are ongoing” about deepening energy cooperation with the United States but did not confirm Trump’s assertion that India is ending its purchases of Russian oil.
“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario,” Jaiswal said. “Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”
Jaiswal’s remarks are in contrast to Trump’s unexpected announcement in the Oval Office on Wednesday that Modi had assured him “they will not be buying oil from Russia,” which the president hailed as “a big step.” India gets roughly one-third of its oil from Russia, its largest supplier. The Trump administration has asserted that Russia is using Indian oil purchases to finance its war with Ukraine.
Former U.S. and Indian officials said the split between the two countries’ messages reflects their fragile relationship. Trump, they said, is eager to declare a diplomatic victory and ratchet up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Modi is determined not to appear as though he has caved to American coercion.
Syed Akbaruddin, India’s former ambassador to the United Nations, described it as “classic pressure politics” from Trump.
“Delhi’s vague response is deliberate. It’s a reminder that strategic autonomy rather than alignment guides its energy choices,” Akbaruddin said. “India may adjust volumes quietly, but it will not be seen as bowing to U.S. demands. The message is clear: cooperation yes, coercion no.”
Mark Linscott, a former negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office who was involved in negotiations with India during Trump’s first term, described it as a “delicate dance” between “the President’s desire to go public and India’s desire to keep any understanding behind the scenes, as long as they can get the 25 percent penalty tariff to go away and pave the way for a trade deal.”
The contradictory messages come after months of rising tension between Washington and New Delhi following Trump’s decision to hit India with tariffs totaling 50 percent, in part to punish it for its continued purchases of Russian oil. The move, intended to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, infuriated Indian officials who noted that no other top purchasers of Russian oil, such China or Turkey, faced similar penalties.
It also comes ahead of a possible meeting between Trump and Modi at a summit of Southeast Asian countries in Malaysia this month.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade agreement, which he followed up with an additional 25 percent levy over the country’s purchases of Russian oil.
Linscott said India’s comments reflect “the government’s discomfort with appearing to be responding to the Trump administration’s pressure on Russian oil purchases and why India might prefer public messaging that doesn’t suggest it has yielded to that pressure.”
Trump’s new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with Modi on Sunday where the two discussed defense, trade and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close Trump confidant, was widely viewed as a sign that the president still sees the U.S.-India relationship as strategically important despite the recent strain.
“I sense the next step on Russian oil is an agreed choreography on how to roll out an understanding in public. And the trade deal comes next,” Linscott added. “I’ve stopped making predictions, but I’m feeling bearish again.”
