Trump claims Modi has assured him India will not buy Russian oil

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him that India will stop buying oil from Russia, a move Mr. Trump described as a “big step” in efforts to isolate Moscow economically.

“So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” Mr. Trump told reporters during a White House event.

“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.”

“That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”

Modi “is a great man. He loves Trump,” the U.S. President said, referring to himself in the third person.

“I don’t want to destroy his political career,” he said of Mr. Modi.

“I’ve watched India for years. It’s an incredible country, and every single year you’d have a new leader,” Mr. Trump said, adding: “My friend has been there now for a long time.”

The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Mr. Modi had made such a commitment to Mr. Trump.

An Indian pledge to halt buying Russian oil would mark a potential turning point in global energy diplomacy, as Washington intensifies efforts to choke Moscow’s oil revenues amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.

It would also signal a major shift by one of Moscow’s top energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other nations still importing Russian crude. It comes as Mr. Trump seeks to leverage bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions.

During his comments to reporters, Mr. Trump added that India could not “immediately” halt shipments, calling it “a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon.”