Donald Trump: India reportedly stopped buying Russian oil
Washington, DC: Although authorities in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said they were not aware of any halt on the imports, US President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that India has apparently ceased buying Russian oil and referred to it as a “good step” if verified.
Mr. Trump told reporters in Washington, DC: “I am aware that India will no longer purchase oil from Russia. I heard it, but I’m not sure whether it’s accurate. That’s a wise move. We’ll see what transpires.
His comments followed Washington’s decision to levy a 25% extra import charge on items coming from New Delhi, as well as a penalty on India for buying military hardware and crude oil from Russia. Earlier, India was criticized by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Trump for importing cheap Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions related to the conflict in Ukraine.
Source and Credit: ANI
#WATCH | "I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard, I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens…" says, US President Donald Trump on a question by ANI, if he had a number in mind for the… pic.twitter.com/qAbGUkpE12
— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2025
However, according to MEA sources, the ministry is unaware of any potential suspension of Russian imports. “Market factors and national interests influence India’s energy procurement. According to a source, there are no instances of Indian oil companies stopping Russian shipments.
At the time this article was filed, the ministry had not released an official comment; however, MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal did so on Friday.
“As you know, we take a comprehensive approach to energy sourcing needs, taking into account both the current global scenario and what is available in the market. At Friday’s weekly briefing, he said, “We don’t know any specifics.”
As discounts decreased this month and the US issued a warning against buying oil from Moscow, a number of stories indicated that Indian state refiners had ceased acquiring Russian oil within the last week. The largest purchaser of seaborne Russian crude is India, the third-largest oil importer in the world.
Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd, the nation’s state refiners, have not sought Russian oil in the last week or so, according to a Reuters report.
Requests for comment from Reuters were not immediately answered by the refiners or the federal oil ministry.
According to insiders, the four refiners have resorted to spot markets for alternative supplies, mostly Middle Eastern grades like West African oil and Abu Dhabi’s Murban crude, after frequently purchasing Russian oil on a delivered basis.
Although state refiners own more than 60% of India’s total 5.2 million barrels per day refining capacity, private refiners Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy are the country’s largest purchasers of Russian oil.
Unless Moscow strikes a significant peace agreement with Ukraine, Mr. Trump vowed on July 14 to impose 100% taxes on nations that purchase Russian oil.