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Trump Repeats Claim That India Has Stopped Buying Russian Oil; New Delhi Denies Any Such Conversation

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Washington/New Delhi
  • Oct 20, 2025
  • 564

US President Donald Trump on Sunday (October 19) reiterated his claim that India will no longer trade oil with Russia, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him of the decision during a phone call.

“I spoke to Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he will not trade with Russian oil,” Trump told reporters aboard his plane.

However, when informed that India denied any such call, Trump warned, “If they want to say that, they will have to pay heavy tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”


 

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) categorically denied the claim.
“There was no conversation between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on Wednesday,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a briefing on October 16.

Jaiswal reiterated that India’s energy policy prioritises public interest, focusing on price stability and supply security.
“To achieve this, we diversify our energy sources in line with market conditions,” he added.

Tariffs and Sanctions Targeting India

The Trump administration has imposed several economic penalties on India over its continued purchase of Russian oil. Trump has claimed that Russia funds its war in Ukraine using revenues from Indian oil purchases.

So far, Washington has levied 50 tariffs on India, including a 25% reciprocal tariff and another 25% penalty on Russian oil imports.
According to White House Press Secretary Carolina Levitt, these steps aim to apply secondary pressure on Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine.

 

India’s Oil Imports from Russia Remain High

Despite the US pressure, Russia remains India’s largest oil supplier.
According to data from shipping tracker Kpler, 34% of India’s oil imports in September 2025 came from Russia, though overall imports have fallen by 10% in the first eight months of the year.

India imported an average of 1.72 million barrels per day (bpd) of Russian crude in August, which slightly dropped to 1.61 million bpd in September.

Experts believe the decline reflects a gradual diversification of sources and US diplomatic pressure.

State Refineries Cut, Private Firms Increase Imports

While state-run refineries such as IOC, BPCL, and HPCL have cut Russian oil imports by over 45%—from 1.1 million bpd in June to 600,000 bpd in September—private refiners like Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy have increased their purchases, maintaining overall supply levels.