Trump Claims India Will Stop Buying Russian Oil; New Delhi Says It’s a Lie

India has pushed back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that it had agreed to stop importing Russian oil—practically calling him a liar and further worsening the already strained ties between India and the U.S., Rhea Mogul reported for CNN.

India has publicly stood firm, claiming it would not let the U.S. dictate its energy needs or interfere in its relationship with Russia.

Trump said recently that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “assured me today that they (India) will not be buying oil from Russia,” which is subject to U.S. sanctions, describing it as a “big step.”

India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, told reporters he was “not aware of any conversation” between Trump and Modi, or any assurance from the Indian leader that he would stop purchasing Russian oil. American critics said Trump is putting words into Modi’s mouth.

China said Thursday that its purchases of Russian oil were “legitimate” and decried recent “unilateral bullying” measures by the U.S. as the trade row between the two countries continues to intensify, Agence France-Presse (AFP) also reported.

India has publicly stood firm, claiming it would not let the U.S. dictate its energy needs or interfere in its relationship with Russia, which dates back to the Cold War. Russia remains the largest supplier of arms to India, Hannah Ellis-Petersen reported for The Guardian.