October 21, 2025

In a spicy twist on the global oil game, US President Donald Trump has stirred the pot by claiming that India will stop buying oil from Russia soon. But hold on! The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is not buying this story and has firmly denied any such promise. Congress quickly jumped into the fray, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of bowing under Trump’s pressure. Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, said, "The matter of India's imports of oil from Russia has been raised by President Trump now thrice in the past five days. And no doubt he will keep increasing this tally as he prepares to meet President (Vladimir) Putin in Budapest later in the week." Trump lashed out saying that India will continue to face massive tariffs if it doesn't stop buying Russian oil, hinting at a tough trade war. Speaking on Air Force One, he said India "does not want to do that" but must act. Meanwhile, India's MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shot down Trump's claims, saying he was unaware of any such call between Modi and Trump promising to halt the oil imports. The MEA explained that India is "broad-basing and diversifying" its energy sources to protect Indian consumers amid a volatile market. The Congress party is not holding back either. They said Modi turns into a "mauni baba" (silent sage) whenever Trump boasts about stopping India's Russian oil purchases. They even accused the Prime Minister of being "frightened" of Trump and outsourcing key decisions to the US. The opposition slammed Modi’s foreign policy as "completely collapsed" and demanded transparency and talks with opposition leaders. The backdrop? The US slapped huge tariffs—up to 50%—on Indian goods, including a 25% extra duty tied to buying Russian oil. India called these US tariffs "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable." Washington accuses India of indirectly helping Russia finance its war in Ukraine by buying Russian oil. So, the tug-of-war continues with Trump making bold claims and India standing its ground, while Congress spices things up with sharp words. Will Modi bow to Trump, or will India keep its oil ties with Russia going strong? Stay tuned for more sizzling updates from this global energy drama!

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Tags: Donald trump, India, Russia, Oil imports, Pm modi, Congress,