'Not aware of any conversation between PM Modi and Trump yesterday': MEA clarifies after US president claims India won't buy Russian oil

India on Thursday (October 16) has firmly rejected claims made by US President Donald Trump, who claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him in a recent phone conversation that India would stop purchasing Russian oil. On Thursday, during a weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed the media, saying, “I’m not aware of any conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump yesterday,” in direct response to Trump's comments.

Trump had made the assertion during a press conference in the Oval Office, where he claimed that Modi had promised him that India would stop buying oil from Russia, a decision that he described as a ‘big stop’. The US president expressed his dissatisfaction with India's continued oil purchases from Russia amidst the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that Modi had provided assurances to address the issue.

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The MEA spokesperson also touched upon the ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Jaiswal emphasised three key points: First, Pakistan’s role in harbouring and sponsoring terrorist groups; second, Pakistan’s long-standing tendency to blame its neighboring countries for its internal challenges; and third, Pakistan’s frustration with Afghanistan asserting its sovereignty over its own territories.

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Finally, the spokesperson reiterated India’s steadfast support for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence. He also said that India’s Technical Mission, which has been operating in Kabul since June 2022, will soon transition into a full-fledged Embassy within the coming days. On Prime Minister Modi's meeting with US President Trump on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, the MEA spokesperson said, “Let us await the announcement regarding our participation in the ASEAN summit.”