India's foreign ministry has said it is not aware of a phone call in which US President Donald Trump claimed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.
On Wednesday, Trump said his Indian counterpart had assured me today that it would end Russian oil imports, a move the US has pushed for in a bid to increase economic pressure on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.
However, when asked about the call on Thursday, an Indian government spokesman cast doubt on Trump's account, saying he was not aware of any conversation between the two leaders taking place the previous day.
The Indian government had earlier stated that discussions were still ongoing with the US over its Russian oil purchases.
Since the outbreak of the war, India has become a significant energy customer for Russia, allowing the Kremlin to sustain its economy despite Ukrainian allies reducing oil and gas imports.
The Trump administration has exerted both public and diplomatic pressure on India to curtail its support for the Russian energy market, aiming for greater economic isolation of the Kremlin post the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Speaking at the White House, Trump asserted he had received assurances from Modi regarding the cessation of purchases within a short period of time.
The initial response from the Indian government did not directly contradict Trump's claim regarding the call, instead emphasizing its priority to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers in a volatile energy scenario.
Yet, the subsequent comments from the Indian officials have raised further doubts about whether any specific agreement has been made between Washington and Delhi.
BBC News has reached out to the White House and State Department for further comments.
