Just days after suggesting that India was preparing to halt its imports of Russian crude, US President Donald Trump has doubled down on the claim, this time asserting that New Delhi has already “significantly scaled back” its purchases.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said discussions with India were progressing well, and hinted at a possible visit to the country next year. “Talks with India are going well. He’s mostly stopped buying oil from Russia,” Trump said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He’s a friend of mine, we stay in touch, and he wants me to visit. We’ll see how to work that out — I will go.”
The comment marks the strongest public assertion yet from Trump suggesting that India is moving away from discounted Russian crude — something New Delhi has not confirmed.
Trump repeated his assertion on Friday during a media interaction at the White House, where he also hinted that he might visit India next year. He said that trade discussions between the two countries were progressing well and claimed that India had largely stopped buying Russian oil. He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a friend and said they were in touch, adding that Modi wanted him to visit India and that he would consider the trip.
Trump’s renewed comments on India’s Russian oil imports come while trade negotiations between Washington and New Delhi are still underway. Russian crude remains a key point of contention in those talks. Earlier this year Trump imposed a fifty percent tariff on Indian goods which went into effect in August. Although his tone toward India has softened since then, he continues to insist that India must end its oil trade with Russia. Half of the tariff was justified on the grounds that India continued to buy energy from Moscow, and the move was seen as part of a wider attempt to pressure Vladimir Putin to halt the war in Ukraine.
India became Russia’s largest crude buyer after the United States first introduced sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Between January and September 2025, India reportedly imported about 1.7 million barrels per day, making up roughly one third of its total oil intake.
Trump previously claimed that Prime Minister Modi had personally assured him that India would stop purchasing Russian oil. He first made the statement in October and repeated versions of the claim several times afterward. However, India publicly denied that such a conversation had taken place. The Ministry of External Affairs stated that it was not aware of any phone call between the two leaders, and spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made it clear that no such discussion had occurred.
Trump’s latest remarks represent a shift from his earlier claim. He now says that India has largely stopped buying Russian oil, instead of saying the move was still being finalized.
His comments also came shortly after the United States imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, in an effort to force Moscow to end the conflict in Ukraine. In response to the sanctions, India said it was evaluating the situation and would base future decisions on market conditions and national interests.
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