"India's been very good on that front": Trump repeats claims of New Delhi scaling back on Russian oil purchases

Busan [South Korea], October 30 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated claims that India had significantly reduced its purchases of Russian oil, noting that New Delhi had been "very good" on the issue amid his broader push to economically isolate Moscow through energy sanctions.
Speaking on the broader energy issue during his press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Trump stated that the US doesn't have much to do with China's purchase of Russian oil, noting that "it takes care of a big part of China."
"There's not a lot more we can do. The oil he's [Xi Jinping] been buying from Russia for a long time. It takes care of a big part of China, and I can say India's been very good on that front, but we didn't really discuss the oil. We discussed working together to see if we could get that war finished. It doesn't affect China, it doesn't affect us but I'd like to see it done," Trump said during the gaggle following his bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Busan, South Korea.
Trump's comments mark the latest in a series of repeated claims since mid-October 2025 that Modi assured him India would halt or drastically cut Russian crude imports, a key revenue source for Russia's war in Ukraine.
Trump's remarks came in reference to the ongoing geopolitical pressure on countries to reduce their energy ties with Russia in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine, which the West claims is fuelling Moscow's military operation in the region.
Earlier this month, India responded to comments by Trump about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, assuring him that it would halt Russian oil purchases, stating that the country's energy sourcing is guided by its national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers.
In its response, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "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. Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions."
"Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing," he added.
This came after President Trump said that PM Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia, describing it as "a big step" in efforts to increase global pressure on Moscow.
India has long defended its oil imports from Moscow as essential for economic stability, even as Washington has continued to urge New Delhi to diversify its energy sources. (ANI)