Rahul Gandhi Says PM Modi ‘Fearful’ of Trump, Letting U.S. Dictate India’s Russia Policy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi harbors apprehension toward United States President Donald Trump, permitting the American leader to unilaterally declare India's cessation of Russian oil imports while maintaining diplomatic overtures despite perceived rebuffs, a contention articulated in a detailed X post that enumerated instances of purported deference, including the cancellation of the Finance Minister's United States visit, the Prime Minister's absence from the Sharm el-Sheikh summit, and the failure to challenge Trump's repeated assertions regarding the cessation of Operation Sindoor in May 2025.

Gandhi's remarks followed Trump's Oval Office statement on Wednesday, wherein he disclosed that Modi, characterized as a personal acquaintance, had assured him of discontinuing purchases of Russian crude—a development Trump described as a substantial advancement in exerting economic leverage on Moscow amid its protracted conflict in Ukraine, noting India's status as the second-largest importer of Russian fossil fuels behind China, with imports escalating from less than 1 percent to approximately 40 percent of total crude acquisitions since the February 2022 invasion, driven by discounted pricing resulting from Western sanctions and diminished European demand.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed Gandhi's position, highlighting that United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the halt of Operation Sindoor at 5:37 PM Indian Standard Time on May 10, 2025, with Trump subsequently claiming credit 51 times across five countries for intervening via tariffs and trade measures, yet Modi refrained from issuing any rebuttal, a silence Ramesh interpreted as evidence of outsourcing critical policy determinations to Washington, thereby diminishing India's autonomous stance.

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Trump's disclosure aligns with ongoing United States efforts to isolate Russia economically, expressing dissatisfaction with India's reliance on sanctioned oil that purportedly sustains the Kremlin's military endeavors, which he quantified as resulting in 1.5 million Russian casualties, while affirming intentions to extend similar pressures to China, the primary recipient of Russian energy exports; New Delhi, however, upholds that its procurement strategy prioritizes national energy security and cost efficiency, maintaining an independent equilibrium on the Russia-Ukraine matter without official corroboration of Trump's reported assurance.

This exchange underscores deepening partisan divisions in India over foreign relations, with Gandhi's narrative portraying Modi's approach as emblematic of diminished resolve against superpower influence, particularly in light of August 2025 tariffs imposed on Indian goods in reprisal for the oil imports, as opposition figures leverage the episode to question the government's strategic posture ahead of prospective bilateral engagements at forthcoming international forums such as the ASEAN summits.

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