Key Points
- US President Donald Trump claims PM Modi has assured him India will end Russian oil imports soon.
- Trump calls it a “significant step” in his strategy to isolate Russia over the Ukraine war.
- India remains silent; no official statement yet from New Delhi.
- The halt would mark a major shift in India’s energy strategy, as Russia currently supplies one-third of India’s oil.
- Trump hints that China may face similar pressure next.
New Delhi: In a major diplomatic development, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally assured him that India will stop purchasing oil from Russia a move Trump described as “a big step” toward cutting off Moscow’s war funding. The statement came during a White House press briefing as Washington intensifies its global campaign to choke Russia’s energy revenues amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Trump stated that he had expressed dissatisfaction to Modi regarding India’s continued oil imports from Russia, which he argued indirectly fund President Vladimir Putin’s “ridiculous war” in Ukraine. “He assured me today that India will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump said, underscoring his goal to push Beijing to follow suit.
According to Trump, Modi’s pledge reflects growing diplomatic coordination between Washington and New Delhi, despite trade frictions and recent US tariffs on Indian goods. India currently accounts for about one-third of Russia’s total crude oil exports, averaging around 1.6 million barrels per day, a key component of its energy mix. Indian officials have previously defended these purchases as vital for national energy security, especially in the wake of global supply volatility.
White House sources indicated that the agreement will not bring an immediate end to oil purchases but will unfold over a “short period of time.” Trump acknowledged the transition would be “a process,” signaling that reductions might occur gradually in coordination with existing import contracts and domestic needs.
Notably, New Delhi has not yet confirmed Trump’s claim. The Indian embassy in Washington has so far declined to comment, and officials in India’s Ministry of Petroleum are yet to issue a statement. Analysts note that if confirmed, India’s withdrawal from Russian crude imports could significantly reshape global oil markets and alter Russia’s export dynamics.
Trump’s remarks also emphasized his personal rapport with the Indian leader. “He’s a friend of mine, a great man,” Trump said, referring to Modi. “Despite our differences on energy policy, we have a fantastic relationship,” he added, describing India as a “reliable and important partner” in America’s strategic calculus, particularly amid rising regional tensions with China.
The US President’s comments come at a pivotal moment, as Washington seeks to reinforce its sanctions regime and expand energy pressure on the Kremlin. Trump also hinted that discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later this week would focus on accelerating peace efforts in Ukraine now that Moscow’s oil income “is finally being squeezed”.
If confirmed, Modi’s assurance could mark one of the most consequential shifts in India’s foreign energy relations in decades—potentially redefining the balance of trade between Asia’s two largest democracies and altering the global oil economy in the process.
