US President Donald Trump's array of statements about Prime Minister Narendra Modi gained a fresh addition on Thursday, when he stated he did not want to “destroy [Modi's] political career” and asserted that India's leader had pledged to halt purchases of Russian oil.
The Modi government has refuted any such phone conversation between Trump and the PM. India's external affairs ministry released a statement emphasising sovereign decision-making. "It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
Trump's assertions—including the political jab about not wanting to “destroy” PM Modi's “career”—highlighted another instance of his reportedly unpredictable shifts toward India and PM Modi.
"I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop," he pointedly claimed.
The acquisition of Russian oil, which the US argues finances Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, continues to strain the uneven but progressing trade negotiations between the two nations for a trade deal. India ranks as the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels after China—a point the US invokes to justify half of the 50% trade tariffs levied on India.
New Delhi maintains its own firm boundaries, such as barring unrestricted entry of American farm and dairy products into India. PM Modi has affirmed he won't compromise on farmers' interests while maintaining composure amid Trump's sharp remarks.
Trump's varied remarks, and a misstep
Trump nonetheless lauded Modi in the same remarks on Thursday, describing his “friend” as “great” once more and claiming that “he (Modi) loves Trump.”
“I don't want to destroy his political career,” the realty mogul-cum-politician added. He then claimed—incorrectly—that India had a new leader every year before Modi took office. “My friend has been there now for a long time,” he said, alluding to the BJP-led NDA's 11 years and counting, following 10 years of Manmohan Singh's Congress-led UPA regime.
Modi's government has responded with restraint, noting its efforts to broaden its energy supply sources. “Where the US is concerned,” its Thursday response read, “we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.”
India's purchases of Russian oil
Historically dependent on the Middle East for oil, India ramped up its imports from Russia following the 2022 Ukraine conflict, as Western sanctions on Moscow created deep discounts for other buyers.
For India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, this shifted purchases from Russia from under 1 per cent to nearly 40 per cent of its total crude oil imports in a brief period.
India has contended that the US, at one stage, urged it to buy from Russia even post-war, to stabilise global prices.
Unrelenting in assertions: ‘Stopped the war’
Regardless of policy subtleties, Trump has lately unleashed a flurry of claims, frequently referencing India's adversarial neighbour, Pakistan.His remarks on PM Modi's “promise” and “career” arrived mere days after he reiterated—now over 50 times—that he averted an India-Pakistan war, potentially nuclear, in May. India has rejected any US pressure in its actions, stating it strategically paused the operation at Pakistan's request.
Even at the global Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, Trump brought Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif to the stage, where he lavishly praised him and credited him fully for “stopping the war.” Trump thanked him, then dubbed PM Modi a “great leader” and a “great friend.”
Also Read: 'Priority to safeguard' amid Trump's Russian oil claim: India
Irked by lack of Modi's Nobel support?
US observers and former officials suggest Trump is chiefly irked that Modi, unlike Sharif and others, has not backed his Nobel Peace Prize nomination for “stopping so many wars.”
Earlier this month, however, mixed signals persisted as Trump sent Modi a framed photo of them together bearing a handwritten note: “Mr Prime Minister, you are great!”
Then came the India-Pakistan comment to reporters aboard his flight to the Middle East for the Gaza summit. Queried about China, he veered into South Asia instead. “I settled a few of the wars just based on tariffs. As an example, with India and with Pakistan, I said, 'If you guys want to fight a war — and you have nuclear weapons! — I'm going to put big tariffs on you both, like 100%, 150, and 200%.' (They said:) 'No, no, no, don't do that.' I said, 'I'm putting tariffs.' I had that thing settled in 24 hours. If I didn't have tariffs, you could have never settled that war,” he said.
Also Read: No call between PM Modi and Trump yesterday, MEA clarifies
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