US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed India has reportedly halted purchases of Russian crude oil — a move he called a “good step” if confirmed. Speaking to reporters in Washington DC, Trump said, “I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That’s what I heard, I don’t know if that’s right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens.”
His remarks came days after Washington announced penalties on India for purchasing Russian crude and military equipment, including a 25% additional import duty on Indian goods. Both Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have criticised India for continuing to import discounted Russian oil despite Western sanctions over the Ukraine war.
However, senior Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) sources told they were unaware of any such suspension. “India’s energy purchases are driven by national interests and market forces. We have no reports of Indian oil firms halting Russian imports,” one official said. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a weekly briefing, reiterated that India sources energy based on market conditions and global realities.
Reports suggest state-run refiners — Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum, and Mangalore Refinery — have not sought Russian crude in the past week, partly due to narrowing discounts and heightened US warnings. These companies are said to be sourcing more Middle Eastern and West African crude instead.
India is the world’s third-largest oil importer and the largest buyer of seaborne Russian crude. State refiners control over 60% of India’s refining capacity, with private players like Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy among the top Russian oil buyers.
Trump recently warned of 100% tariffs on countries continuing Russian oil purchases unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine.
