United States President Trump declares that India intends to halt oil purchases from Russia.
India's oil imports continue to flow from over 30 countries, including Russia, despite increasing pressure from the United States to reduce or cease purchases of Russian energy resources. This persistence is evident as multiple tankers recently delivered around 2.2 million barrels of Russian Urals crude to major Indian refiners such as Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy [1][2].
The U.S., particularly under the Trump administration, has voiced concerns about India's oil trade with Russia due to geopolitical tensions and sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. However, India has thus far resisted these pressures, emphasising its strategic and economic interests in maintaining Russian oil imports [1][2].
The strained trade relations between the U.S. and India have been primarily due to high tariffs and "non-tariff barriers" on goods, with the U.S. taking measures such as imposing tariffs on imports from India [1]. In response, India has diversified its oil imports, but Russia remains its largest supplier.
Trump has also pointed out that India buys a significant portion of its military equipment from Russia. Despite the Embassy of India in the U.S. not yet responding to TASS' request for comment on Trump's remarks, the ongoing trade dynamics between the two nations appear to be influenced by a complex interplay of geopolitical, economic, and strategic factors [1][2].
As the situation continues to evolve, India's approach to balancing its strategic ties with both Russia and the U.S., without significantly altering its Russian crude oil imports, remains a point of interest for global observers [1][2].
Sources: [1] Reuters. (2025, August 1). India continues to buy Russian oil despite U.S. pressure. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/india-continues-buy-russian-oil-despite-us-pressure-2025-08-01/
[2] The Economic Times. (2025, August 3). India's oil imports from Russia remain robust. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/indias-oil-imports-from-russia-remain-robust/articleshow/91165476.cms
The ongoing war-and-conflicts, specifically the tensions between the U.S. and Russia due to the Ukraine conflict, have influenced policy-and-legislation concerning India's oil trade. Despite the U.S.'s pressure to reduce or cease purchases of Russian energy resources, India has maintained its strategic interests in Russian oil imports, which is a significant part of the general-news discourse.
