US President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday (local time) that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would halt purchases of Russian oil, calling it “a big step” in efforts to pressure Moscow internationally. Trump made the remarks during a joint news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel at the Oval Office, where they also discussed steps to curb violent crime.

Responding to a question from ANI about India as a reliable partner, Trump said, “Yeah, sure. He's [PM Narendra Modi] a friend of mine. We have a great relationship… I was not happy that India was buying oil. And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop. Now we've got to get China to do the same thing.”

Reaffirming his close relationship with Modi, Trump added, “He's a friend of mine. We have a great relationship. He just said that two days ago, as you know.”

Trump criticized India’s previous oil imports from Russia, noting, “We were not happy with him buying oil from Russia, because that lets Russia continue on with this ridiculous war, where they've lost a million and a half people, by the way. Russia has lost a million and a half people, soldiers mostly.”

India has maintained that its oil imports from Moscow are essential for economic stability, even as the U.S. has urged New Delhi to diversify its energy sources.

Describing the Russia-Ukraine war as unnecessary, Trump said, “This is a war that should have never started, but it's a war that Russia should have won in the first week, and they're going into the fourth year. And I want to see it stop. So I was not happy that India was buying oil.”

He reiterated, “And he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big stop. Now I got to get China to do the same thing.”

Trump compared this diplomatic effort with his recent work in the Middle East, stating, “You know, that is relatively easy compared to what we just did over the last week in the Middle East. Middle East was 3,000 years, and we got it done. This is three years.”

Expressing cautious optimism about resolving the conflict, he added, “And I think we'll get it done. I think that Putin, President Putin, I think he's going to, I think he wants to get it done. We'll see.”

On the tensions between Moscow and Kyiv, Trump commented, “There's a great animosity between him [Putin] and Zelensky, you probably have noticed. And it's, I think it's hurting the process. Yeah.”

In addition, US President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday at a Ballroom Dinner event that he had prevented multiple global conflicts during his presidency, asserting that he had stopped “eight wars in eight months.”

“I don’t think any President has stopped one war. I stopped eight wars in eight months,” Trump said, referring to his efforts to de-escalate international crises during his tenure.

He suggested that his contributions to global peace had not been fully recognized. “Did I get a Nobel Prize? No,” he remarked, adding that he expected a more positive reception in the future. “But I suspect that next year will be better,” he said.

Emphasizing the human impact of his actions, Trump noted, “But you know what I care about? I saved maybe hundreds and millions of lives.”

His remarks echoed comments made earlier on Sunday, October 13, while aboard Air Force One en route to the Middle East, when he referred to the Gaza ceasefire as the eighth conflict he had successfully helped end.

“This will be my eighth war that I have solved, and I hear there is a war now going on between Pakistan and Afghanistan. I said, I’ll have to wait till I get back. I am doing another one. Because I am good at solving wars,” Trump said.

He reflected on his previous diplomatic interventions, including his claimed role in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. “Think about India, Pakistan. Think about some of the wars that were going on for years. We had one going for 31, one going for 32, one going for 37 years, with millions of people being killed in every country and I got every one of those done, for the most part, within a day. It’s pretty good,” he stated.

Trump stressed that his initiatives were motivated by saving lives rather than recognition or awards. “It’s an honour to do it. I saved millions of lives… I did not do this for the Nobel. I did this for saving lives,” he said.

His remarks coincided with renewed discussions over the Nobel Peace Prize, following his comments on October 11 regarding Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was announced as the 2025 laureate. Trump claimed that Machado had personally contacted him and dedicated the award in his honour.

“The person who got the Nobel Prize called me today and said, ‘I am accepting this in honour of you because you really deserved it’… I didn’t say, ‘Give it to me,’ though. I think she might have… I’ve been helping her along the way,” he said.

Machado was recognized for her work in promoting democratic rights and leading Venezuela’s peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

In connection with his peace efforts, Trump referenced the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and reiterated that he had ended several wars through diplomacy. “I stopped seven wars. That’s one war, and that’s a big one,” he said, listing conflicts he claimed to have resolved, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo and Serbia, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Rwanda and the Congo.

Expressing support for Trump’s peace initiatives, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: “Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize — he deserves it!”

Source: ANI