Washington, 16 October (H.S.): United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday lauded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a great man and claimed to have received assurances that India will soon cease purchasing oil from Russia. The remarks were made during a joint news conference at the Oval Office with FBI Director Kash Patel.

President Trump commented on the recent meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor, stating, I think they were great… PM Modi is a great man. He (Sergio Gor) told me that he (PM Modi) loves Trump.

Trump praised the political stability India has experienced under Modi’s leadership, contrasting it with previous years of frequent leadership changes. I have watched India for years. It’s an incredible country and every single year you would have a new leader… and my friend has been there now for a long time, he said.

The President directly addressed India’s energy trade, asserting that Prime Minister Modi had committed to ending oil imports from Moscow as a measure to help resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

He’s assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia… He can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon, Trump stated.

Trump emphasized the strategic importance of India’s cooperation, adding, If India doesn’t buy oil, it makes it much easier… They will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war is over. He also described the animosity between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a major obstacle to peace.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar