India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has directly refuted allegations by the former U.S. President Donald Trump that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to end Russian oil imports in a dramatic turn in the rhetoric between the two nations. New Delhi responded by saying it was not aware of any such discussion and essentially denied Washington his story and reinstated the strategic independence of India in energy diplomacy.
Trump’s Asserted Pledge
On October 15, President Trump gave the news that Modi had informed him India would stop buying Russian oil, a point that he framed as a significant compromise in the ongoing trade talks. He called it a big stop and indicated that the transition would be a long process but it would occur soon.
But several hours later the MEA of India reacted and said that it had no idea of such a conversation or even commitment. In their statement, they emphasized that India does not have to respond to outside pressure, but rather domestic policy regarding energy security and market realities dictate the policies it has adopted in relation to imports.
There are two worlds: India and Russian Oil Imports
India has increased its crude purchases of Russia, since 2023, after getting high discounts due to western sanctions. Indian refiners such as MRPL claimed in the recent quarters that 35-40 percent of their sourcing of crude was in Russia.
Though privately India has shown willingness to reduce its dependence on Russian oil, it has not given any orally binding statements out of the fear of a possible political blowback.
MRPL Signals Pragmatic Strategy
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) reacted to the increasing diplomatic pressure by confirming that it is considering other sources of crude and petrochemicals such as U.S but it is bound to get the lowest viable supply, including Russian. Such balancing highlights the Indian priority, which is the optimization of the cost of energy at the expense of sending political signals.
Strategic Stakes & Diplomatic Fallout
This episode adds to the already strained relationships in the 2025 United States-India diplomatic and trade crisis, which arose when Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, in part due to India continuing to import Russian oil.
It has been observed that Trump might be using the assertion as a bargaining strategy to gain leverage as the pressure of trade negotiations with India. On their side, the Indian officials seem to be eager to preserve the policy of strategic independence neither to give in to the demands of the U.S. nor to openly enmity Washington.
Keywords,
India Russia oil imports
Trump India trade
Modi energy diplomacy
India rejects Trump’s claim
