VOIWORLD/Sumit Chaturvedi
US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia, warning that New Delhi will continue to face “massive tariffs” unless it complies.
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.” The statement echoes remarks he made last week, when he suggested that India had decided to curtail its Russian oil imports following a conversation between the two leaders.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the claim, clarifying that no such phone call had taken place. Officials maintained that New Delhi’s top priority remains protecting the interests of Indian consumers amid global oil price volatility.
When asked about India’s rejection of his claim, 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.”
Rising US Pressure on Russia’s Trade Partners
Trump’s comments come amid mounting American pressure on nations trading with Moscow, particularly in the energy sector. Washington argues that continued oil purchases indirectly fund Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Since 2022, when Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow, India has emerged as the largest buyer of discounted Russian crude.
Currently, the US levies a 50 percent tariff on a wide range of Indian exports — among the highest globally — and an additional 25 percent penalty on transactions involving Russia. Trump has repeatedly said those duties will remain or even increase unless India halts its crude trade with Moscow.
India’s Position and Oil Import Trends
While the White House claimed last week that India has halved its Russian oil imports, Indian sources countered that no significant reduction has yet been observed. Refiners have already booked cargoes for November and December, meaning any decline would likely appear in early 2026 import data.
According to estimates by commodities tracker Kpler, India’s Russian oil imports are actually expected to rise by nearly 20 percent this month — to about 1.9 million barrels per day — as Moscow boosts exports following Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries.
