The US President has claimed that India will reduce the import of Russian oil

US President Donald Trump has reiterated that India has agreed to reduce purchases of Russian crude.

Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him during a phone call on Tuesday that Delhi “will not buy more oil from Russia” because he also “wants to see the end of the Russia-Ukraine war”.

Modi accepted Trump’s call and “warm wishes” for the Diwali festival in a social media post but did not comment on Russian oil.

Trump had made similar criticisms last week, but the Indian foreign ministry said at the time “Not aware” of any phone calls. between leaders. A ministry official told the BBC on Wednesday that he had no further comment on Trump’s latest statement.

“I talked to Prime Minister Modi today, as I said before. And we have a very good relationship. And he’s not going to buy more oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters during the White House’s Diwali celebration on Tuesday.

“He wants to see an end to the war with Russia-Ukraine. And, you know, they’re not going to buy more oil. So they’ve cut it and they’re continuing to cut it again.”

India became the largest market for Russian oil in 2022 after the Ukraine war broke out, with Western nations avoiding purchases and Moscow imposing sanctions. Delhi increased its imports and bought Russian crude at subsidized prices, as the decision is crucial to provide energy security to millions of people.

Delhi has also pointed out that many Western countries, including the US, have trade relations with Russia.

In recent months, US officials have accused Delhi of aiding Russia’s war against Ukraine by continuing to buy crude oil, a claim Delhi denies.

The Trump administration has put public and diplomatic pressure on Delhi to reduce its support for Moscow’s energy markets as part of efforts to isolate the Kremlin economically and end the war in Ukraine. Oil and gas are Russia’s biggest exports, and Moscow’s biggest customers include China, India and Turkey.

As part of this pressure, the US has imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods – with an additional 25% penalty on purchases of Russian oil.

However, the US President’s tone has softened in recent days as trade negotiations between the two countries progress.

Last week, an Indian government spokesperson said discussions were “ongoing” with the US administration which has “expressed interest in expanding energy cooperation with India”.

India has held high-stakes trade talks with the US with the aim of reaching a long-sought deal in the coming months.

Meanwhile, in a report Dr Mint newspaper suggested A deal could be announced soon and “India may agree to gradually reduce its Russian oil imports”, citing three sources familiar with the matter.

The BBC has contacted India’s Ministry of Commerce for comment.

Follow on BBC News India Instagram, YouTube, X And Facebook.