Washington / New Delhi:U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing Russian oil, but the Indian government has denied any such discussion, calling it unfamiliar.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.” When asked about India’s denial, Trump responded sharply, If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.
Trump’s remarks come amid prolonged trade talks between Washington and New Delhi, where Russian oil purchases have become a major sticking point. Nearly half of Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods are said to be linked to India’s continued energy trade with Moscow.
The U.S. administration has repeatedly stated that revenue from Russian oil sales funds Moscow’s war in Ukraine, urging allies and partners to cut energy ties with Russia.
Despite these warnings, India remains the world’s largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, benefiting from heavy discounts since Western nations imposed sanctions after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A White House official said that India had halved its Russian oil imports, but Indian sources disputed this, noting that refiners had already committed to shipments through December, with any reductions possibly visible in December or January’s import data.
According to Kpler, a global commodities data firm, India’s Russian oil imports are expected to climb by 20% this month, reaching 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia boosts exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.