Trump says Modi assured India will stop buying Russian oil.
Russia supplies one-third of India’s crude, making the shift significant.
U.S. tariffs on India target its Russian oil purchases.
Trump says Modi assured India will stop buying Russian oil.
Russia supplies one-third of India’s crude, making the shift significant.
U.S. tariffs on India target its Russian oil purchases.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him India will stop buying oil from Russia, as Washington intensifies efforts to curb Moscow’s energy revenues amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
According to Reuters, Trump told reporters during a White House event that Modi had pledged to end India’s purchases of Russian crude, a move he described as significant in the U.S. push to pressure Russia into negotiating a peace deal. “So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia,” Trump said. “That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”
India and China are the two largest buyers of Russian seaborne crude exports, taking advantage of discounted prices after European buyers reduced purchases and Western sanctions cut Moscow off from traditional energy markets following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions from Reuters about whether Modi had made such a commitment.
Later on Wednesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato during talks in Washington that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy as well. “Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship and the Administration's expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent said on X. The Japanese government did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Reuters reported.
Russia remains India’s top oil supplier, exporting 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September — roughly one-third of the country’s total oil imports, according to Reuters. Indian officials have previously defended those purchases as essential to maintaining national energy security amid high global prices.
While replacing Russian oil could raise India’s import costs, lower global prices may soften the blow. Benchmark Brent crude futures fell to a five-month low on Wednesday amid concerns about a growing market surplus.
A decision by India to halt imports would mark a major policy shift by one of Russia’s key energy customers and could influence other nations still purchasing Russian crude. Trump has sought to use bilateral relationships to enforce economic isolation on Moscow rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions, Reuters reported.
The announcement followed a recent meeting between Modi and Sergio Gor, Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador to India. The two discussed defence, trade and technology issues. Gor’s appointment, as a close ally of Trump, was widely seen as a signal of Washington’s intent to strengthen ties with New Delhi.
Trump said India could not stop shipments “immediately”, calling it “a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon.”
Despite pressing India, Trump has refrained from placing similar demands on China, whose energy ties with Moscow remain extensive. The U.S. trade war with Beijing has complicated those diplomatic efforts, with Trump reportedly reluctant to escalate tensions further by targeting Chinese oil imports.
Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian exports earlier this year after trade talks failed to produce an agreement, later adding another 25% in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil. India criticised the move, noting that other major importers such as China and Turkey were not subject to comparable tariffs.
(With inputs from Reuters)