President Donald Trump of the United States reiterated his claim that he had a phone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and received a commitment from Prime Minister Modi to reduce imports of Russian crude oil.
According to Bloomberg and other sources on October 21 (local time), President Trump told reporters at a Diwali celebration, the largest Hindu festival in India, held at the White House, that he had spoken with Prime Minister Modi by phone.
President Trump said, "We discussed many things, but most of it was about global trade," adding, "He (Prime Minister Modi) will not buy much Russian crude oil." He continued, "He wants the (Russia-Ukraine) war to end as much as I do," and added, "They (India) will not buy too much oil from Russia."
Previously, on October 15, President Trump stated that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would stop importing Russian crude oil. However, at that time, India's Ministry of External Affairs said it was not aware of any phone call between the two leaders on October 15. This was interpreted as an indirect indication that India intended to continue importing Russian crude oil.
Bloomberg reported that the Indian Embassy in the United States did not respond to a request for comment on President Trump's remarks that day. The White House also did not respond to Bloomberg's request for specific details regarding the call.
India has been importing large quantities of Russian crude oil at low prices since Russia, a traditional ally, began the war in Ukraine in 2022 and faced Western sanctions that blocked its export channels. Imports of Russian crude oil have become a major obstacle in trade negotiations between the United States and India.
President Trump has argued that India's imports of Russian crude oil are effectively funding Russia's war, and has imposed a total of 50% reciprocal tariffs on India, including an additional 25% tariff.
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