Russia states India hasn't committed to stopping oil imports

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Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, greets Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, during their meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow. — Reuters

India purchases Russian oil at discounted rates.
U.S. tariffs have decreased India’s Russian oil imports by 38%.
Modi does not mention U.S. requests to halt oil procurement.

The Kremlin stated on Tuesday that it has not received any indication from India about stopping Russian oil imports following a new trade deal with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump announced that he secured a deal to lower tariffs on India, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to cease buying Russian oil due to the conflict in Ukraine.

India’s Russian oil imports, which are discounted owing to Western sanctions disrupting logistics and markets, have increased significantly since Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine and its Western allies have been working to block the flow of billions of dollars in revenue, which is crucial for Russia’s economy and military efforts.

“We haven’t heard any official statements from New Delhi on this matter,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov to reporters, including AFP.

Trump highlighted plans to cut duties on Indian goods to 18%. Previously, he imposed a 25% “reciprocal” tariff on many products and an additional 25% on India’s purchases of Moscow’s oil.

While Modi expressed gratitude to Trump for the “wonderful” phone call and tariff reductions, he did not address Trump’s claim about stopping oil purchases.

In 2024, nearly 36% of India’s total crude oil imports came from Russia, equating to about 1.8 million barrels of discounted oil per day.

Following Trump’s tariff imposition, India’s monthly Russian oil imports dropped by 38%, according to data from India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, as reported by local media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged “uninterrupted shipments” of oil during a visit to New Delhi in late 2025.

Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached $68.7 billion in 2024-25, nearly six times pre-pandemic levels, dominated primarily by energy exports from Moscow, while Indian exports to Russia accounted for less than $5 billion.