The External Affairs Ministry issued a statement on Thursday, following claims by US President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia.
MEA responds to Trump’s Russia Oil claims
The MEA said the current US administration is interested in expanding energy cooperation with India, and talks on the matter are ongoing. India is a major importer of oil and gas, the ministry noted. “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. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” MEA’s official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
“Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” the statement added.
The ministry also highlighted that India’s energy policy aims to ensure stable prices and secure supplies. “This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” it said.
What Trump said about PM Modi and India’s Russian oil purchase
Trump earlier claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying oil from Russia. He said that while the change would take some time, the goal would be achieved soon.
Trump also spoke about his personal relationship with Modi, calling him a friend and praising his long tenure in office. He contrasted Modi’s stability with India’s past frequent leadership changes.
Criticising India’s past oil imports from Russia, Trump described the Ukraine-Russia conflict as unnecessary and expressed his displeasure over India’s purchases of Russian oil.
These claims follow earlier US measures, including high tariffs on Indian goods, imposed because of India’s continued purchases of Russian military equipment and energy during the Ukraine war. India had made it clear that its energy decisions are guided by national priorities and global market conditions, not external pressure.
