The US President, Donald Trump, on Saturday welcomed reports suggesting that India has stopped purchasing oil from Russia, calling it a “good step” if verified — even as Indian officials and oil industry sources pushed back, saying there has been no formal halt in imports.
“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. That is a good step. We will see what happens,” Trump told mediapersons in Washington DC.
‘I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia’: US President #DonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/3rOTXAFHAJ
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) August 2, 2025
The remark comes amid rising tensions between the two strategic partners. Washington recently imposed penalties on New Delhi for its ongoing purchases of Russian crude and defence equipment, and slapped a 25% additional import duty on several categories of Indian goods.
Earlier this week, both Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised India for continuing to import discounted Russian crude despite Western sanctions aimed at isolating Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
However, sources within India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quoted by newswire ANI, said they were unaware of any official move to pause oil imports from Russia.
“You are aware of our broad approach to energy sourcing requirements — that we look at what is available in the market and the prevailing global situation,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly briefing on Friday. “We are not aware of any specifics.”
Contrary to Trump’s remarks and a Reuters report claiming Indian state refiners have not sought Russian crude in the past week, industry insiders say Indian oil companies continue to source from Russian suppliers.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, became the top buyer of seaborne Russian crude following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country has repeatedly defended its decision, citing energy security and economic interests.
A Reuters report earlier this week claimed that state-run refiners — including Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd — had refrained from placing new orders for Russian crude due to narrowing discounts and growing pressure from the U.S.
Despite the report, government officials and industry executives maintain that no formal policy shift has been communicated, and buying decisions are based on prevailing commercial and geopolitical conditions.
As of now, there is no official statement from the Indian government confirming any change in the status quo.
