US President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, but New Delhi said the two leaders haven’t communicated in recent days.
The confusing back-and-forth — reminiscent of an episode earlier this year in which Trump said he spoke to Chinese leader Xi Jinping, an assertion denied by Beijing — underlined persistent tensions between the US and India. Their ties have been upended by Trump’s frustration with Indian purchases of oil from Russia, which Washington argues is helping Moscow fuel its war with Ukraine.
“Once again, Donald Trump has made a claim that may not square with facts,” a leading Indian journalist said. Still, “New Delhi has little option but to tread with caution.”
A chart showing Russian crude oil exports by destination country.
