Modi Pledges to Halt Russian Oil Imports, Says Trump

News Desk

Islamabad: US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop purchasing oil from Russia, marking a major development in Washington’s efforts to curtail Moscow’s energy revenues amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump said his next focus would be persuading China to halt similar imports — a move he described as the next step in his administration’s broader strategy to economically isolate the Kremlin.

“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 step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing,” Trump told reporters.

India and China as Russia’s Top Oil Buyers

India and China remain the two biggest importers of Russian seaborne crude, taking advantage of discounted prices since Western sanctions following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

India alone imported around 1.62 million barrels of Russian crude per day in September — roughly one-third of its total oil consumption — making Russia its largest supplier.

Until now, Indian officials had defended these purchases as vital for national energy security and affordability, particularly for a developing economy.

Analysts, however, warned that ending such imports would not happen overnight. Trump also acknowledged this challenge, saying India could not halt shipments “immediately,” but described it as “a little bit of a process” that would “be over soon.”

Tariffs and Diplomatic Pressure

The Trump administration has stepped up economic pressure on India over its Russian oil imports. Washington this year imposed cumulative tariffs of 50% on Indian exports to the United States — an initial 25% after failed trade negotiations, followed by another 25% explicitly tied to New Delhi’s continued oil purchases from Moscow.

Indian officials reportedly viewed the move as discriminatory, noting that other major buyers of Russian oil such as China and Turkey had not faced similar penalties.

The announcement of Modi’s commitment followed a meeting between Trump’s nominee for US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, and the Indian prime minister in New Delhi. The discussions focused on defense, trade, and technology cooperation. Gor, a close Trump ally, is seen as pivotal to advancing the administration’s India strategy.

Japan Also Urged to End Russian Energy Imports

In a related development, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had urged Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato to halt Russian energy imports during a meeting in Washington.

“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship and the administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Tokyo has yet to issue a response, while the Indian embassy in Washington has also remained silent on whether Modi made the commitment Trump cited.

Trump Highlights Broader Achievements

During the same press briefing, Trump highlighted his administration’s domestic and foreign policy achievements, claiming success in reducing global conflicts and tackling crime across US cities.

“I stopped eight wars, also met the prime minister of Pakistan,” he said, adding that the Pakistani leader had previously credited him with helping “save millions of lives.” Trump also reiterated his earlier claim that seven planes were shot down during the Indo-Pak conflict in May.

The president further asserted that “peace has been established in the Middle East after 3,000 years” and claimed that Russia had suffered heavy losses in the Ukraine conflict.

‘Operation Summer Heat’ 

Turning to domestic issues, Trump cited the success of Operation Summer Heat, an initiative aimed at preventing violent crime and apprehending offenders.

“Important successes were achieved in Operation Summer Heat,” Trump said, adding, “We’ve made Washington the safest city in America.”

Contrasting this with crime levels in other major cities, he pointed to Chicago, where 11 people were killed last week, vowing to “clean all cities in America from crime.”

“The law and order situation in some cities is worse than war zones,” Trump warned, emphasizing that his administration had launched a “war against criminals” in line with the people’s mandate. Input from Reuters.