Trump Warns India Over Russian Oil Imports, Says ‘Massive’ Tariffs Will Stay
U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told him India would end its purchases of Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue facing “massive” U.S. tariffs if it failed to do so.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
When asked about India’s denial of such a conversation, Trump replied:
“If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs — and they don’t want to do that.”
Tariffs and Russian Oil at the Core of Trade Tensions
Russian oil remains one of the biggest sticking points in prolonged U.S.-India trade negotiations. Roughly half of Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods are said to be in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of Russian crude.
Washington argues that oil revenues help finance Russia’s war in Ukraine, and has repeatedly urged New Delhi to scale back imports.
India, however, has become the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne oil, taking advantage of lower prices after Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
India Balances Talks and Energy Needs
An Indian government official described ongoing trade talks with the U.S. as “congenial,” but declined to share further details due to the sensitivity of negotiations. The official confirmed that an Indian delegation recently returned from Washington after discussions with U.S. trade counterparts.
Emails sent to India’s trade ministry on Monday went unanswered due to a public holiday.
Trump also said on Wednesday that Modi had reassured him again that India would stop buying Russian oil. However, India’s foreign ministry stated it was unaware of any phone call between the two leaders that day and emphasized that protecting Indian consumers remained its primary concern.
Conflicting Signals on Russian Oil Purchases
A White House official said Thursday that India had halved its Russian oil imports, but Indian sources disputed that claim, saying no immediate reduction had been observed.
According to these sources, Indian refiners have already placed orders for November and December shipments, meaning any decline in imports may not appear until December or January data is released.
Estimates from commodities analytics firm Kpler suggest that India’s imports of Russian crude are actually set to increase by 20% in October, reaching about 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia ramps up exports following drone attacks on its refineries by Ukraine.
