'He Assured Me': Trump Claims PM Modi Told Him India Won't Purchase Russian Oil

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told him that there would be no oil purchases from Russia, months after Trump imposed punitive tariffs on it. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday during a White House event, Trump called PM Modi a "friend" and claimed that he had been assured by him that India won't purchase Russian oil anymore. "He's assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia," Trump said. "You know, you can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon," he added.Responding to ANI's question whether he views India as a reliable partner, Trump said: "Yeah, sure. He's (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship..

I was not happy that India was buying oil. And 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.""He's a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. He just said that two days ago, as you know," the Republican chief added.Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI director Kash Patel at the Oval Office.

'Modi is a great man': Trump

The US President also criticised India's previous oil imports from Russia and called the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict "unnecessary", saying, "We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they've lost a million and a half people."He also discussed the recent meeting between PM Modi and US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor. "I think they were great. Modi is a great man. He (Sergio Gor) told me that he (PM Modi) loves Trump. I have watched India for years. It's an incredible country and every single year you would have a new leader. Some would be in there for a few months and this was year after year after year and my friend has been there now for a long time," Trump said.

In August, Trump announced a 25% tariff plus penalties on Indian imports, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian military equipment and energy amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. With this, Indian goods face upto 50 per cent tariffs in the United States.After Trump's move, India had made it clear that it will continue to act in its national interest and factor in the global market situation when it comes to its energy purchases.