Congress Slams Donald Trump Over Russia Oil Remarks, Questions Modi Government’s Silence
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday launched a sharp attack on US President Donald Trump over his remarks on India’s purchase of Russian oil, accusing Washington of exerting undue pressure on New Delhi and questioning the Narendra Modi-led government’s silence on what it called repeated public humiliation of India.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the party’s general secretary in charge of communications, said the United States continues to follow a “blow hot, blow cold” approach towards India despite frequent public displays of warmth between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump. His remarks came after Trump suggested that India had reduced Russian oil purchases under US pressure to keep him “happy”.
Speaking earlier in the day, Trump said, “India wanted to make me happy. Modi is a very good guy and he knew I was not happy. And it was important to make me happy. We can raise tariffs on them very quickly.” He was apparently referring to India’s energy trade with Russia, which the US administration has consistently opposed.
Trump has previously cited India’s purchase of Russian oil as a reason for doubling tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August 2025. According to Reuters, the US President again warned that tariffs could be raised if India did not cooperate on the Russian oil issue.
Congress Questions ‘Personal Diplomacy’
Reacting on X, Jairam Ramesh said that events such as “Namaste Trump” and “Howdy Modi”, along with public praise and personal warmth, have yielded little tangible benefit for India.
“The PM’s good friend in the White House continues his ‘blow hot, blow cold’ approach to India. He has yet again threatened higher tariffs if India does not stop buying oil from Russia,” Ramesh wrote, adding that symbolic gestures and public bonhomie have failed to protect India’s economic interests.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari echoed the criticism, asserting that India has always sourced fuel based on cost considerations and has the sovereign right to purchase cheaper oil. “The US is exploiting Prime Minister Modi’s weakness,” he alleged, arguing that India should not be pressured on its independent foreign policy decisions.
Another Congress leader went further, accusing Trump of “sniggering” and “mocking” India, while claiming that US officials were portraying Indian diplomats as pleading to keep the President in good humour. The leader questioned why the Prime Minister had not publicly responded to defend India’s dignity.
Government Yet to Respond
As of 3:45 pm on January 5, the Indian government had not issued an official response to Trump’s comments. The silence has added to Opposition criticism, with Congress leaders arguing that India’s strategic autonomy is being undermined in public.
Meanwhile, global attention on oil geopolitics has intensified following recent US military action against Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves — over 300 billion barrels, or about 17% of global reserves, according to OPEC. Despite this, Venezuela’s production has fallen sharply due to sanctions and underinvestment, further complicating global energy markets.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
The controversy underlines the growing strain between optics-driven diplomacy and hard economic realities. As global energy geopolitics intensify, India’s balancing act between strategic autonomy and external pressure is likely to face sharper scrutiny — both internationally and at home.