President Trump reaffirmed on Friday that India would cease purchasing oil from Russia, while supporting Hungary for maintaining its imports. During a meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump expressed confidence that India had already reduced its purchases from Moscow.
Trump stated, “India will not be buying oil from Russia. They’ve already deescalated.” Previously, Trump had a discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where Modi assured him that India would halt its oil imports from Russia, which Trump viewed as a significant step in isolating Moscow over the conflict in Ukraine.
Despite differences in energy policies, Trump emphasized his strong relationship with Modi, labeling him as a friend and a reliable partner. However, the claim of a phone call between Trump and Modi was refuted by the Indian External Affairs Ministry, stating there was no such conversation.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that halting Russian energy purchases by NATO countries could help end the Ukraine conflict. His stance softened when discussing Hungary, acknowledging their reliance on Russian oil due to geographical constraints. Trump mentioned Hungary’s efforts to reduce oil imports from Russia and highlighted an upcoming summit between him and Russian President Putin in Budapest, aimed at resolving the Ukraine crisis.
The US President praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a “very great leader” and explained that Budapest was chosen as the summit location due to the positive relationship between him, Putin, and Orban.