India, Oct. 16 -- US President Donald Trump's list of varied statements naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi saw a new entry when he said on Thursday, October 16, that he did not want to "destroy [Modi's] political career" and claimed that India's leader had promised to stop buying Russian oil.

The Indian government has denied that Trump and Modi spoke over the phone. Russian oil has been a contentious issue and is cited by the US as the reason for half of the 50% trade tariffs imposed on India. India's external affairs ministry also issued a statement, asserting its priorities in deciding whom to buy from. "It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import poli...