India Defies Trump, Will Keep Buying Russian Oil

At a news conference, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had issued no directive to reduce Russian oil imports. He reaffirmed India’s sovereign right to shape its foreign relations independently, underscoring that the partnership with Russia was “steady and time-tested.”

President Trump had earlier claimed that India had stopped buying Russian oil, adding, “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.” However, Indian officials flatly rejected this claim, with two senior sources confirming that oil imports from Russia would continue as usual.

Trump’s threats are widely interpreted as part of trade negotiations, as the U.S. and India attempt to finalize the initial phases of a bilateral trade agreement. Observers note that other major Russian oil buyers, like China and Türkiye, have not faced similar warnings.

Russian Oil Now Central To India’s Energy Strategy

Since the start of the Ukraine war, India has dramatically increased its purchases of Russian oil—from less than 1% of total imports before the war to over 33% today. India now imports more than 2 million barrels per day from Russia, making it the second-largest buyer after China.

U.S. Treasury officials previously acknowledged that India’s adherence to the G7 price cap policy allowed it to buy Russian crude legally and helped stabilize global markets. “They bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap,” former U.S. ambassador Eric Garcetti said last year.

India has consistently framed its oil policy as rooted in national interest and global price stability. While the Biden administration had tacitly accepted this position, Trump’s return to aggressive trade rhetoric signals renewed tension over the issue.