'He stopped buying oil from Russia largely': Trump hints at India visit on request of 'great man' Modi

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday (Nov 6) once again called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "great man" and a "friend" while claiming that India stopped buying oil from Russia "largely." The US president also revealed that he might visit India next year on Indian Prime Minister's request. Trump's statement came amid ongoing trade talks between India and the US. The Trump administration has imposed total tariff of 50 per cent on India, including 25 per cent additional duties, over Russian oil purchase.

Speaking to reporters at the Oval office, Trump was asked about the progress of India-US trade talks. He said, “They are going good, he stopped buying oil from Russia largely. He is a friend of mine, and we speak and he wants me to go there. We will figure that out, I will go... Prime Minister Modi is a great man…” On his plan to visit India next year, he said, “It could be, yes.”

This comes after a NY Times report in August this year claimed that Trump no longer intends to visit India for the upcoming Quad Summit after failed trade talks. Citing sources familiar with the President's schedule, the report, titled "The Nobel Prize and a Testy Phone Call: How the Trump-Modi Relationship Unravelled", noted that although Trump had earlier assured Prime Minister Modi that he would attend the summit in the fall, the plan has now been dropped.

Trump had sparked a controversy last month after he claimed that Modi had assured him that India would not buy oil from Russia. Echoing the statement by several US officials, Trump also said that Indian's oil purchase from Russia is "funding" its war against Ukraine. However, clarifying on the claims, New Delhi stated that its decisions regarding trade are aimed at safeguarding the "interests of the Indian consumers in a volatile energy scenario." After Trump imposed steep tariffs back in July, India’s Ministry of External Affairs had stated that its energy imports are necessary to ensure affordable prices for consumers, driven by global market conditions. Without naming Trump, the US or UK, it criticised other nations for trading with Russia while unfairly targeting India, despite lacking similar vital needs.