India has refuted US President Donald Trump’s assertion that he held a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding India’s purchase of Russian oil. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) clarified on Thursday that no such conversation took place.
MEA response
Speaking at the weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “On the question of whether there was a conversation or a telephone call between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders.”
India’s stance on energy sourcing
Earlier, the MEA issued a statement emphasizing that India prioritizes the interests of its consumers amid the volatile global energy scenario. “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,” Jaiswal added.
Trump’s claim
During a press conference at the Oval Office, Trump stated that Modi had assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. “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,” Trump said.
The situation remains developing, with no confirmation from India regarding any change in its Russian oil imports.
