President Trump has asserted that India is ceasing its purchases of Russian oil, a claim he reiterated during a meeting at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump stated that India’s oil imports from Russia have significantly decreased and are expected to stop entirely soon. He mentioned that India’s share of Russian oil purchases was around 38%, but this is now ending.
Earlier this week, Trump had indicated he had received assurances from India regarding the reduction in Russian oil imports, acknowledging that the transition would not be immediate. “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia…It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon,” Trump remarked, suggesting that this move would facilitate the resolution of the ongoing conflict. He further suggested that India would resume purchases from Russia only after the conflict concludes.
Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a ‘great man’ and India as ‘an incredible country,’ Trump’s comments come at a time of crucial trade negotiations between the US and India. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has officially denied any recent telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump concerning this matter. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal clarified that a previous statement on the energy issue should be referred to, and explicitly stated, “As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump”.
While India has increased its imports of Russian oil in recent years, China remains Russia’s largest energy customer. Notably, during the Trump administration, tariffs were imposed on India for purchasing Russian oil, while China faced no such measures. The current trade talks in Washington coincide with the new US ambassador to India’s recent meetings with top Indian officials, highlighting the ongoing strategic dialogue.