US President Donald Trump said he had heard that India may have stopped purchasing oil from Russia, and he considered this to be a positive development. Speaking to reporters on Friday while leaving the White House for his weekend at the Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, Trump stated, “I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia... That’s what I heard. I don’t know if that’s right or not, but that’s a good step. We’ll see what happens.”
This statement came just days after Trump imposed heavy trade tariffs on India. He had accused India of engaging in “unfair trade practices”, particularly pointing out its consistent oil and military equipment purchases from Russia. On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social that,
“INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST.”
So far, he hasn’t disclosed the exact nature of the additional penalty. Despite the criticism, Trump acknowledged that India was a “friend”, though he added that trade with India has been limited due to its high tariffs.
He wrote, “India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World.”
Trade between India and the United States has remained significant. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the two countries traded goods worth $129 billion in 2024. However, the US ran a trade deficit of $45.7 billion with India.
Trump’s remarks followed media reports indicating that Indian government-run refineries had temporarily paused imports of Russian oil. The decision reportedly came as a result of shrinking price discounts and growing logistical issues. Still, India has not officially confirmed this change in its oil import policy.
In response to Trump’s criticism, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal defended India’s diplomatic relations with both Russia and the United States. He stressed that the relationship between India and Russia is “steady and time-tested.”
At the same time, Jaiswal reaffirmed the strong connection between New Delhi and Washington, stating that the bilateral relationship is based on “shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties.” He expressed optimism that India-US ties would continue to grow despite recent tensions.
