ndia has seemingly pushed back against US President Donald Trump’s claim it had agreed to stop importing Russian oil, signaling the issue that has strained ties is unlikely to be resolved soon. Trump on Wednesday said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “assured me today that they (India) will not be buying oil from Russia,” which is subject to US sanctions, describing it as a “big step.”
But on Thursday India’s foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters he was “not aware of any conversation” between Trump and Modi, or any assurance from the Indian leader that he would stop purchasing Russian oil. Earlier in the day, India’s foreign ministry said the country was a “significant importer of oil and gas,” without naming Russia nor referencing Modi’s purported assurance.