Overview
- Trump told reporters in the Oval Office and at a White House Diwali event that he had a conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused largely on trade.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated there was no phone call between the leaders and offered no confirmation of any discussion.
- Trump has asserted that Modi said India would stop buying Russian oil, a claim Indian officials contest while maintaining their energy policy is market and security driven.
- The U.S. this year added a 25% duty on Indian goods, lifting some overall tariff rates to roughly 50% as leverage related to India’s Russian energy purchases.
- Indian officials have also previously rejected Trump’s narrative of brokering an India‑Pakistan ceasefire, crediting direct DGMO communications instead.