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His statement came after Trump claimed that his “friend” PM Modi has assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia, a move which he described as a major step towards increasing pressure on Moscow over the attack on Ukraine.
Gandhi said on Twitter, “PM Modi is scared of Trump. He allowed Trump to take the decision and announce that India will not buy Russian oil. Kept sending congratulatory messages despite repeated criticism. Canceled the Finance Minister’s visit to the US. Left Sharm el-Sheikh. Didn’t contradict him on Operation Sindoor.”
Congress general secretary communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh also attacked the government on this issue.
Read also, India rejects US President Trump’s claim, says domestic consumers guide energy imports
“On May 10, 2025, at 5:37 pm Indian Standard Time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio first announced that India had stopped Operation Vermilion. Subsequently, President Trump claimed 51 times in 5 different countries that he had intervened to stop Operation Vermilion by using tariffs and trade as pressure weapons. Yet our Prime Minister remained silent,” Ramesh said on X.
He said, “Now President Trump has announced yesterday that Mr. Modi has assured him that India will not import oil from Russia. It appears that Mr. Modi has outsourced important decisions to America. His 56-inch chest has shrunk.”
Speaking to reporters in his Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said the US is not happy that India is buying Russian crude, arguing that such purchases help finance President Vladimir Putin’s wars.
Responding to a question, Trump said, “He (Modi) is my friend, we have a very good relationship… We were not happy with his buying oil from Russia because it gave Russia the opportunity to continue this ridiculous war, where they have lost 1.5 lakh of their people.”
“I was not happy that India was buying oil and (Modi) assured me today that they will not buy oil from Russia. This is a big step. Now we have to make China do the same,” he said.
According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), India is the second largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels after China.
Traditionally dependent on Middle Eastern oil, India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, significantly increased its imports from Russia following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Russian oil became available at deep discounts due to Western sanctions and reduced European demand. As a result, India’s Russian crude oil imports increased from 1% to almost 40% of its total crude oil imports in a short period of time.
New Delhi has maintained that its oil imports are motivated by national energy security and affordability concerns and that its position on the Russia–Ukraine conflict remains independent and balanced.