US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that India will stop buying Russian oil, asserting that New Delhi has already “de-escalated” its imports. This statement was made at the White House during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where Trump stressed his plan to end the Ukraine war through diplomacy and tariffs.
India’s Denial and Trump’s Assertion
Speaking on Friday, Trump appeared confident, declaring:
“India will not be buying oil from Russia. They’ve already deescalated.”
This follows an earlier, more emphatic claim by Trump on Wednesday, where he stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally assured him in a phone conversation that India would cease its Russian oil imports—a move he described as “a big step” to isolate Moscow.
However, the Indian External Affairs Ministry (MEA) officially dismissed the claim of a recent phone call. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated he was “not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders.”
Despite the denial and differences over energy policy, Trump described the Indian leader as a close partner, saying, “He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship.”
Focus Shifts to Hungary and Putin Summit
Trump’s repeated comments are part of his strategy to pressure NATO countries to halt Russian energy purchases as a means to end the war.
The conversation later shifted to NATO member Hungary, which is heavily reliant on Russian oil. Trump’s tone became sympathetic, acknowledging Hungary’s difficult position:
“Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline that’s been there for years and years and years… It’s very hard for them to get oil. I understand it.”
This shift in tone comes as Hungary prepares to host a critical summit. Trump announced his plan to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest within two weeks, with the goal of ending the “inglorious” war in Ukraine. Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, calling him a “very great leader,” and noted the choice of Budapest was made because “we (he and Putin) like Orban.”
