New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday clarified that there was no telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. "On the question of whether there was a conversation or a telephone call between PM Modi and President Trump, I am not aware of any conversation between the two leaders," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during his weekly briefing.

This statement comes following Trump’s recent remarks about India’s oil imports from Russia. Earlier, Trump had claimed that PM Modi assured him India would stop buying Russian oil, calling it "a big step" towards increasing global pressure on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. Late on Wednesday, when asked whether Trump views India as a reliable partner, Trump said:

"Yeah, sure. He's (PM Narendra Modi) a friend of mine. We have a great relationship… I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia.

That's a big stop. Now we've got to get China to do the same thing." Responding to these comments, the MEA in an earlier statement highlighted that India’s energy policy is guided strictly by national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers amid volatile markets.

The ministry reiterated that India is a significant importer of oil and gas, with a long-standing priority to ensure stable prices and secure supplies through diversified sourcing.