NEW DELHI– India on Thursday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that he had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the Indian leader allegedly assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia.
Responding to media queries at the Ministry of External Affairs’ weekly briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that no such discussion had taken place.
“Regarding the comment from the U.S. on the energy issue, we have already issued a statement, which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump,” Jaiswal said.
Trump had made the claim on Wednesday during a White House press conference, where he praised Modi as a “great man” and called India “an incredible country.” The U.S. President also said he was open to meeting the Indian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.
“Yeah, sure, he’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” Trump said when asked about a possible meeting. “He’s a great man. He loves Trump… I have watched India for years. It’s an incredible country, and every single year you’d have a new leader. I mean, some would be in there for a few months, and this was year after year after year. And my friend has been there now for a long time.”
Trump further claimed that Modi had assured him India would stop purchasing Russian oil. “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia… You can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon,” Trump said.
He added that if India halted its oil imports from Russia, it would make it “much easier” to end the ongoing conflict. “Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war’s over,” he emphasized.
During the same press event, Trump also introduced the new U.S. Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, saying, “We have the new ambassador to India right here. They’re well represented. You better represent us, not them, okay? But Sergio is going to do a great job.”
Trump’s comments came as India’s trade delegation continued negotiations with U.S. officials in Washington. The talks follow Gor’s recent meetings in New Delhi with Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. (Source: IANS)
