(Commonwealth_India) US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India will sharply scale back its imports of Russian oil by the end of this year, calling it a “gradual process” that takes time. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump said he had spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was assured that India would “be down to almost nothing” in terms of oil purchases from Russia by year-end.
“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop… it’s a process. You can’t just stop overnight. By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing, almost 40 percent of the oil. India’s been great. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday. They’ve been absolutely great,” Trump said, expressing confidence that New Delhi would align with Washington’s position.
His remarks came shortly after the US imposed new sanctions on two major Russian oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil—in an effort to intensify pressure on Moscow over its ongoing war in Ukraine. The move marks Trump’s first major Ukraine-related action since beginning his second term, underscoring his intent to use economic levers to isolate Russia further.
Trump also turned his attention to China, warning that Beijing could face tariffs as high as 155 percent starting November 1 if it fails to reach a new trade agreement with Washington. Drawing a contrast between India and China, he said, “China is a little bit different. They have a different relationship with Russia. It was never good, but because of Biden and Obama, they got forced together. They should never have been forced together… I hope they are friendly, but they can’t be.”
The president added that he intends to hold discussions aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war, suggesting that energy and trade could play a central role in those talks. “What I’ll really be talking to him about is how do we end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s through oil or energy or anything else. I think he’s going to be very receptive,” Trump said, referring to his upcoming talks with world leaders, including Modi.
During Diwali celebrations at the White House on Tuesday, Trump had also spoken about his recent phone conversation with Modi. Standing beside oil lamps and surrounded by members of the Indian-American community, he told reporters that trade and energy were at the heart of their discussion. “We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade,” he said. “Energy imports were also discussed. He’s not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that war end as much as I do.”
This is now the second week in a row that Trump has claimed Modi personally assured him that India would reduce its dependence on Russian oil. Earlier, on Sunday, Trump had repeated a similar claim while warning that India could face “massive” tariffs if it did not comply. When reporters pointed out that Indian officials had publicly denied any such commitment, Trump brushed it off, saying, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs—and they don’t want to do that.”
Russian oil remains one of the most sensitive and politically charged issues in US-India relations. Washington argues that India’s continued purchases of Russian crude indirectly support Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. Nearly half of the tariffs currently imposed by the US on Indian goods—around 50 percent—are reportedly linked to India’s energy trade with Russia.
Meanwhile, Indian state-run refiners have started reviewing their import agreements to ensure none of their oil purchases come directly from the sanctioned companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. According to Reuters, the refiners are closely examining shipping manifests and trade paperwork to trace any possible links to these firms.
While Trump’s remarks have drawn renewed attention to India’s oil policy, officials in New Delhi have maintained that their energy decisions are based on national interest and market stability. However, as new US sanctions tighten their grip on Russia’s energy exports, Indian refiners may soon need to balance their domestic energy security with the demands of a complex geopolitical landscape abroad.
