US President Donald Trump on Friday once again said that India would no longer buy oil from Russia, even as he defended Hungary for continuing its imports.
Speaking at the White House during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump appeared confident that New Delhi had already scaled back its purchases from Moscow.
“India will not be buying oil from Russia,” Trump said. “They’ve already deescalated.”
The remark came amid Trump’s repeated claims that he could end Russia’s war in Ukraine through a mix of diplomacy and tariffs, if NATO countries stop buying Russian energy.
But his tone shifted when the conversation turned to Hungary, a NATO member heavily reliant on Russian crude. Trump struck a sympathetic note.
“Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline that’s been there for years and years and years,” he said. “They’re inland — they don’t have sea. It’s very hard for them to get oil. I understand it.”
Trump said he recently spoke with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, calling him a “very great leader,” and reiterated that he plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him New Delhi would stop buying oil from Russia — calling it “a big step” in his push to isolate Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he had flagged concerns with Modi about India’s continued imports of Russian crude, which Washington believes help to fund President Vladimir Putin’s war.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil,” Trump said. “He (Prime Minister Modi) assured me today that they would not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” he added.
Trump also described the Indian leader as a close partner despite differences over energy policy. “He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” Trump said when asked if he viewed India as a reliable partner amid tensions with China.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday clarified that there had been no telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump.
“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,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his weekly briefing.
– Ends
