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As Trump alleges India’s shift from Russian oil, officials and media find no proof.
In a fresh display of political theatrics, US President Donald Trump recently claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised him that India would refrain from purchasing oil from Russia. Trump's assertion, made from the White House, appeared to indicate a dramatic change in geopolitics, one that would reverse the longstanding India–Russia strategic alliance.
But reality seems far less dramatic. Neither India's Ministry of External Affairs nor the Prime Minister's Office has issued confirmation of any such talk. Indian media, which is celebrated for its incisive diplomatic reporting, has discovered no evidence of a recent Trump–Modi phone call. To be sure, the last recorded communication between the two leaders took place a month ago, when Trump made a call to wish Modi a happy 75th birthday.
Had the alleged promise been given at that time, why did Trump remain quiet for so long? And would Modi really celebrate his birthday by pledging to give up Russian oil — a crucial source of energy for India's economy? The allegation is more a query than a fact. To this skepticism is added the fact that Modi has allegedly rejected four phone calls from Trump over the past few months. Trump himself calls Modi a "great man," yet his actions — including the imposition of 25% tariffs on Indian energy imports and boasting of "reconciling India and Pakistan" — have strained relations.
The newest "broken telephone" moment comes just ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip to India, where Modi confirmed India's long-standing ties with Moscow: "Even in the most difficult times, India and Russia have always gone ahead shoulder to shoulder." Trump's comments, thus, appear more about domestic show than diplomacy — a reminder in international politics that not all "calls" are to be answered as received.
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