Indian refineries to slash Russian oil purchases following Trump's statement — Reuters
Photo: India prepares to cut oil purchases from Russia (Getty Images)
Some Indian oil refineries are planning to gradually reduce imports of Russian oil. The US is pressuring India to abandon Russian raw materials and help speed up the end of Russia's war against Ukraine, Reuters reports.
US President Donald Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him of his willingness to stop buying oil from Russia, which is currently India's main supplier.
"So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia," Trump told reporters during an event at the White House.
India seeks to maintain prices and supplies
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by stating that the country's main priorities remain stable energy prices and guaranteed supplies.
"It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective," the ministry said in a statement.
However, the ministry did not mention Trump's comments on Russian oil purchases. Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaishwal added that Washington has expressed interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. He said negotiations were ongoing.
Trade negotiations and tariff pressure
Indian officials are currently in Washington to participate in trade negotiations. The US has doubled tariffs on Indian goods to push New Delhi to reduce imports of Russian oil.
The US has stated that restricting such purchases will be a key condition for lowering tariffs and concluding a trade agreement.
India and China remain the largest buyers of Russian seaborne oil, taking advantage of discounts that Moscow has been forced to offer after Europe refused to purchase and the US and EU imposed sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Indian refineries ask for time
Despite Washington's statements, Indian oil refineries have not yet received official orders from the government to stop purchasing Russian oil.
Reuters sources claim that an immediate halt to purchases is impossible, as a sharp transition to other grades would lead to an increase in world prices and exacerbate inflation.
From April to September 2025, India imported 1.75 million barrels of Russian oil per day, accounting for about 36% of all supplies, while a year earlier this figure was 40%.
At the same time, US oil supplies increased by 6.8% to 213,000 barrels per day. The share of oil from the Middle East increased to 45% from 42% over the same period last year.
US President Donald Trump said that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil.
In addition, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington expects Japan to completely abandon imports of Russian energy resources.
