US President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that he had spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that India had agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil.
He warned that if New Delhi failed to do so, Washington would maintain “massive tariffs” on Indian goods.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said that he had spoken with Prime Minister Modi of India, who had told him that India was not going to be doing the “Russian oil thing.” When he was informed that India had denied any such conversation, Trump reportedly responded that if New Delhi wanted to deny it, then they would just continue to pay massive tariffs, which they did not want to do.
Trade relations between India and the US have recently been strained, with Washington imposing steep tariffs—around 50 per cent on certain Indian goods—partly in response to India’s continued imports of discounted Russian crude. US officials argue that revenue from these purchases supports Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
India, which has emerged as the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, has defended its position, citing national interest and the need to safeguard consumers from global price volatility. The Indian Foreign Ministry stated that it was unaware of any phone calls between Modi and Trump on the day of the US President’s remarks.
A White House official later said that India had reduced its Russian oil imports by half, though Indian sources said they had observed no such decline.
According to those sources, refiners have already placed orders for November shipments, with deliveries expected through December, meaning any decrease might only be visible in late-year data.
Estimates from commodities analytics firm Kpler indicate that India’s Russian oil imports could, in fact, rise by about 20 per cent in October to 1.9 million barrels per day. The increase follows Russia’s efforts to boost exports after Ukrainian drone strikes disrupted its refinery operations.