U.S. President Donald Trump announced that India would soon halt its purchases of Russian crude oil, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him the “process will be over with soon”. Speaking during a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump stated: “India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore… they bought about 38 per cent, and they won’t be doing it anymore.”

New Delhi has rejected any such commitment. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs clarified there has been no conversation of the sort and maintained that India’s energy imports are guided by domestic interests, supply security and price considerations. Meanwhile, Russia responded by expressing confidence that its energy cooperation with India will continue unabated.

The sharp divergence in accounts underscores intensifying U.S. efforts to isolate Russia economically over its war in Ukraine. With India being one of Moscow’s largest oil buyers, Trump appears to be leveraging American trade policy—including tariffs imposed on Indian goods—to recalibrate India’s energy strategy.