US President Donald Trump reiterated that India would stop buying oil from Russia, and claimed that New Delhi had already reduced imports, while stressing his plan to end the Ukraine war through diplomacy and tariffs.
"India will not be buying oil from Russia," Trump said. "They have already de-escalated." The US president made the remarks at the White House during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while emphasising on his plan to end the Ukraine war through diplomacy and tariffs.
.@POTUS: "India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore, and Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline... and they're inland — they don't have sea... but India will not be buying oil from Russia." pic.twitter.com/KXpUBejIvU
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 17, 2025
Earlier this week, Trump had claimed that, in a phone conversation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil. US believes that the import of Russian crude oil is helping fund Russia’s war against Ukraine.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs later dismissed Trump’s claims, saying that there was no phone conversation between the two leaders. "On the question of whether there was a conversation or a telephone call between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said during the press conference.
Russia remains India’s primary crude oil supplier, accounting for approximately one-third of its total oil imports.
Trump, however, defended Hungary for continuing its import of Russian crude oil. "Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline that's been there for years and years and years. They're inland — they don't have sea. It's very hard for them to get oil. I understand it." He said that Hungary has already begun reducing its oil imports from Russia. This shift in Trump's stance coincides with an upcoming high-stakes meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest within the next two weeks.
‘Enough blood has been shed...’
Earlier, Trump called for an immediate end to the brutal war between Kyiv and Moscow, following the meeting at the White House with Zelenskyy.
"Enough blood has been shed, with property lines being defined by War and Guts," Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after his two-hour talks with Zelenskyy. He added, "They should stop where they are. Let both claim Victory, let History decide!"
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His recent remarks suggest that Moscow keep the territory it has seized from Kyiv. This indicates yet another shift in Trump’s stance, who had, in recent weeks, shown growing impatience with Putin and expressed willingness to help Ukraine win the war. Last month, after meeting Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump had suggested that Ukraine could reclaim all territory lost since Russia's February 2022 invasion. Though earlier, he had insisted Kyiv would need to concede land to end the war.
Whether Trump’s stance changed post the phone call he had with Putin on Thursday, is open to speculation. And there’s also the meeting between the two leaders in Budapest.
Zelenskyy, after Friday's meeting, avoided a direct answer to questions on Trump's push for Ukraine to surrender land, and instead said that it was time for a ceasefire and negotiations.
