India Denies Trump Claim on Russian Oil Purchases

U.S. President Donald Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying Russian oil and urged China to follow suit. India’s Ministry of External Affairs denied the claim, saying no such phone call took place and that India’s energy choices are driven by national interest, price stability and supply diversification. Beijing rejected U.S. pressure, defended its purchases from Russia as legitimate and warned of “firm countermeasures” against unilateral U.S. sanctions. Moscow also pushed back, calling its energy trade with India economically viable and noting payment arrangements in roubles and yuan. The episode provoked domestic political heat — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked Modi and the BJP pushed back — and it briefly lifted global oil prices amid worries about tightening supplies. Governments and markets remain watchful as diplomatic friction over Russian energy complicates broader U.S.-India-China relations and energy-security calculations.