MEA Refutes Donald Trump’s Claim Of PM Modi Call On Russian Oil; Says No Such Conversation Took Place Between The Two Leaders

New Delhi: India once again took it upon itself to factcheck President Trump, with MEA’s Randhir Jaiswal stating that “no telephone conversation took place between PM Modi and President Trump yesterday.”

The statement, which came at an MEA media briefing, comes after President Trump’s remarks at a White House briefing on Wednesday night, where he claimed that Prime Minister Modi had personally assured him that New Delhi would stop buying Russian oil.

The MEA had also put out a statement soon after Trump’s statement early on Thursday morning, Indian time. The statement stated that India’s priority remained safeguarding the “interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario” by “broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.” Coming to the United States, the statement added that India had sought to expand its “energy procurement” from Washington for many years.

“This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” the statement said.

Trump’s remarks came just after Sergio Gor, the US ambassador-designate to India, had visited New Delhi. Gor, who arrived in New Delhi on October 10 for a six-day official visit, hit the “ground running” with a series of meetings that included Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval before meeting Prime Minister Modi.

Post the meeting, Gor issued a statement where he made no mention of Russian oil. “We just finished an incredible meeting with Prime Minister Modi, where we discussed bilateral issues, including defense, trade, and technology. We also discussed the importance of critical minerals to both of our nations.” He added that the US valued its relationship with India, and he remained “optimistic about the days ahead for both of our nations.”

President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have been in regular touch in recent times, with the latest telephone conversation taking place on October 9. Responding to a question, Jaiswal stated that the issue of Russian oil did not come up in this call either. “There was a telephone call on October 9 between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump. Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Trump on the success of the Gaza peace plan. The two leaders agreed to review the progress of trade negotiations, and they also agreed to stay in touch.”