By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra 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.
Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, where the two highlighted the administration’s efforts to curb violent crime.
On whether he viewed India as a reliable partner, Trump said, “Yeah, sure. He’s (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship…I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing…”
He reaffirmed his close relationship with the Indian leader, he added, “He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. He just said that two days ago, as you know.”
Trump criticized India’s previous oil imports from Russia, stating, “We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they’ve lost a million and a half people, by the way. Russia has lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly.”
He noted that 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.
Trump called the ongoing conflict unnecessary, Trump said, “This is a war that should have never started, but it’s a war that Russia should have won in the first week, and they’re going into the fourth year. And I want to see it stop. So I was not happy that India was buying oil.”
He continued, “And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big stop. Now I got to get China to do the same thing.”
Trump drawn a comparison with his recent diplomatic efforts, he said, “You know, that is relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East. Middle East was 3,000 years, and we got it done. This is three years.”
He expressed optimism about resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he added, “And I think we’ll get it done. I think that Putin, President Putin, I think he’s going to, I think he wants to get it done. We’ll see.”
President Trump commented on the tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, Trump said, “There’s a great animosity between him (Putin) and Zelensky, you probably have noticed. And it’s, I think it’s hurting the process. Yeah.”
