Overview
- Mary Millben told Rahul Gandhi he was wrong to say Prime Minister Narendra Modi is frightened of President Trump, calling Modi’s U.S. outreach strategic and India-first.
- Rahul Gandhi’s Oct. 16 post asserted that Modi let Washington announce a halt to Russian oil buys and cited other episodes he said showed undue U.S. influence.
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected Trump’s statement about a phone assurance from Modi, saying no such call occurred and that energy policy prioritizes consumer interests.
- Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov backed New Delhi’s stance, saying India’s energy cooperation with Moscow aligns with its national interests.
- Coverage noted India’s expanded intake of discounted Russian crude under Western sanctions and highlighted polarized reactions on X to Millben’s defense of Modi.