India rejected claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with US President Donald Trump about Russian oil. On Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said no such phone call took place.

“On the question of whether there was a conversation or a telephone call between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during the weekly press briefing.

India Prioritizes Consumer Interests

The MEA emphasized that India’s energy policies focus on protecting its consumers. “India is a significant importer of oil and gas. We consistently prioritize the interests of Indian consumers in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies follow this objective,” Jaiswal added.

Trump’s Claim

Earlier, Trump said in an Oval Office press conference that Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. “I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop,” Trump said.

Tariff Tensions

India’s purchase of Russian oil has been in the spotlight since August, when Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports. This brought the total US tariffs on India to 50 percent.

Modi’s Response

Prime Minister Modi made it clear that he would not compromise on farmers’ livelihoods, even if it meant “paying a heavy price.”