US President Donald Trump’s list of varied statements naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw a new entry when he said on Thursday, October 16, that he did not want to “destroy [Modi’s] political career” and claimed that India’s leader had promised to stop buying Russian oil. The statement made by US President Donald Trump on Thursday, October 16, 2025, encapsulated the highly personalized and often tumultuous nature of U.S.-India relations under his administration. The remarks contained two distinct elements: an unusual diplomatic flourish and a significant policy claim.
The comment that he did not want to “destroy [Modi’s] political career” is characteristic Trumpian rhetoric. While the Modi government has denied any telephonic conversation with Trump, however, by framing the Indian Prime Minister’s enduring leadership as contingent on his own goodwill, Trump successfully personalized the bilateral relationship and subtly asserted dominance. This type of public “friendship” dynamic often overshadows the serious policy disagreements underlying the alliance.
The critical policy claim was that Prime Minister Modi had assured him India would cease buying Russian oil “within a short period of time.” This address the key geopolitical friction point: India’s substantial purchase of discounted Russian crude, which the US views as funding Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. India became Russia’s largest oil customer after Western sanctions, with Russian imports soaring to nearly 40% of India’s total crude mix.
New Delhi’s response was measured but firm. The Ministry of External Affairs did not confirm any recent conversation regarding such an assurance and reiterated that India’s import policy is solely guided by the national interest—specifically, by “safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer” and ensuring “stable energy prices and secured supplies.” This position underscores the reality that India’s economy cannot abruptly halt imports from its largest and most affordable energy supplier. Trump’s claim, made amid ongoing trade tensions and punitive US tariffs on Indian goods, thus served primarily to exert public pressure on both New Delhi and Moscow, while leaving the complex reality of India’s energy security unaddressed.
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