US President Donald Trump has claimed that India is “no longer” purchasing oil from Russia, days after announcing fresh penalties on New Delhi for continuing crude imports from Moscow.
“If it’s true, that’s a good step,” Trump said, while appearing uncertain about the development. “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. We will see what happens,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Trump’s remarks come shortly after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed any suggestion that Indian oil companies had halted Russian imports, reiterating that the country's energy policy is guided by market dynamics and national interests.
Responding to questions about reports of Indian refiners pausing Russian oil purchases, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly briefing: “You are aware of our broad approach to energy sourcing—we assess what is available in the market based on the prevailing global situation. We are not aware of any specifics.”
The MEA’s clarification followed back-to-back comments from Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both critical of India’s continued energy ties with Russia despite Western sanctions imposed over the Ukraine war.
On Thursday, Trump announced a 25 percent import tariff on Indian goods, along with vague references to additional penalties linked to India’s oil trade with Russia. He later suggested that the punitive measures were also influenced by India’s membership in BRICS and its growing partnership with Moscow.
Trump’s latest tariff move comes amid ongoing trade talks between Washington and New Delhi. When asked whether those negotiations were still open, he remained non-committal.
“We're talking to them now. We'll see what happens. India was the highest, or just about the highest, tariff nation in the world—100 points, 150 points, even 175 percent in some cases,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, New Delhi expressed confidence that the India-US relationship would continue to progress. The MEA said both sides remain committed to a “substantive agenda” as negotiations continue.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)
