On October 22, former President Donald Trump held a very public and very positive telephone conversation with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among other things, they zeroed in on trade and energy concerns. As you may have heard, that call took place in the Oval Office. It drew international attention to the intricate logistics of international oil purchasing, particularly from Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
During the discussion, Trump said he wanted to hear about Modi’s pledge to cut back India’s oil purchases from Russia. After all, the United States has taken India to task by placing tariffs on Indian exports. This now intends to urge India to stop its extremely crude oil business with Moscow. Trump’s approach looks to use leverage to force Russia to the table for a peace agreement on Ukraine. This creates an especially timely and important opportunity to address energy purchases.
“We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade,” Trump stated, reflecting on the breadth of their conversation.
Trump said he had already changed India’s oil imports from Russia, pointing out Modi’s plans.
“He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do,” Trump emphasized, demonstrating a shared interest in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
With India and China still among the top three global buyers of Russian seaborne crude oil, the geopolitical chessboard gets more complicated. The United States has repeatedly criticized such imports, particularly due to the current war in Ukraine. The U.S. uses tariffs on Indian exports to influence India’s purchasing decisions. This decision pushes India to further side with the West’s isolation of Russia.
Over the course of that meeting, both leaders addressed a number of geo-political and bilateral issues. Today’s discussion will highlight the strategic value of U.S.-China trade relations and explore how both countries can work together to confront public policy challenges on a global scale.