WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia — a move he described as “a big step” in efforts to tighten global pressure on Moscow.
Speaking at a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office, Trump said he had raised concerns about India’s continued energy imports from Russia during his discussions with Modi. “Yeah, sure. He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship,” Trump said, responding to a question from ANI about whether he viewed India as a reliable partner.
“I was not happy that India was buying oil,” Trump continued. “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.”
The former president repeated his criticism of Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which he said had dragged on far longer than it should have. “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,” Trump said. “I want to see it stop.”
Trump also noted the heavy losses Russia has sustained in the conflict. “They’ve lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly,” he said, calling the situation “ridiculous.”
Reiterating his rapport with Modi, Trump said, “He’s a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. He just said that two days ago, as you know.”
India has repeatedly defended its imports of Russian oil, citing the need to maintain energy security and price stability amid global disruptions. Washington, meanwhile, has continued urging New Delhi to diversify its energy sources as part of broader Western efforts to cut off Moscow’s war funding.
Trump said Modi’s reported assurance represented meaningful progress. “That’s a big step,” he said again, adding that convincing other major economies to follow suit would be key to curbing Russia’s ability to sustain the war.
