United States President, Donald Trump, has stated that Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as Washington increases pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump told reporters that Modi assured him India would end its purchases “within a short period of time”, describing it as “a big stop.”
The US has been using India’s energy ties with Russia as leverage in its wider trade dispute, but New Delhi has resisted such pressure in the past.
Reacting to Trump’s comments, an Indian government spokesman said talks were “ongoing” with the US, which had “shown interest in deepening energy co-operation with India.”
“Our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” the spokesman said.
Russia counts China, India, and Turkey among its biggest oil and gas buyers.
“Now I’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday, as part of his administration’s broader move to cut off Moscow’s energy revenue.
A Chinese government spokesman responded that the country maintains “normal, legitimate economic, trade, and energy co-operation with countries around the world, including Russia.”
The Kremlin said it could still supply quality oil at cheaper prices and warned that blocking countries from buying Russian crude meant “the principles of free trade are being violated.”
The Trump administration has also asked Japan to stop importing oil and gas from Russia. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had conveyed this “expectation” to Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Wednesday.
Trump acknowledged that India cannot “immediately” stop oil shipments but said the process “is going to be over with soon.”
Washington has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods — one of the highest in the world — which Trump described as punishment for India’s continued dealings with Russia. The tariffs, which began in August, include a 25% penalty on transactions linked to Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Modi has continued to insist that India remains neutral in the conflict despite his country’s long relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Moscow, Putin told an energy forum on Thursday that Russia remains one of the world’s top oil producers despite “unfair” restrictions.
Putin said: “Russia maintains its position as one of the leading oil producers, despite the use of unfair competition mechanisms against us.”
The UK and the European Union have recently lowered the price cap on Russian crude oil from $60 to $47.60 a barrel to disrupt “the flow of oil money into Putin’s war chest.” The measure was first introduced in late 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Indian officials have criticised the Trump administration’s claims that Delhi benefits from Russia’s war, calling it a double standard since Western nations continue trade with Moscow.
India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, relies heavily on discounted Russian crude to support its economy.
Tensions over Russian oil have strained relations between Trump and Modi, though Trump described the Indian leader on Wednesday as a “great man”.
Modi said last week that he had spoken with Trump and that they “reviewed good progress achieved in trade negotiations.”
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