Donald Trump claims PM Modi has ‘assured’ him that India will stop importing Russian oil: Read how the Modi govt has dismissed similar claims of the US President in the past

Trump claims Modi agreed to phase out Russian oil imports
Donald Trump and Narendra Modi (Image via Reuters)

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday (15th October) that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will cease purchasing oil from Russia. Trump said he would now focus on getting China to do the same, as Washington ramps up efforts to cut Moscow’s main source of income, its oil exports.

Speaking at a White House event, Trump said, “I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That’s a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same thing.”

Trump admitted that India might not be able to stop Russian oil purchases right away. “It’s a little bit of a process, but that process will be over soon,” he said.

When asked for confirmation, the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment.

The announcement comes just days after Trump’s new pick for Indian ambassador, Sergio Gor, met with PM Modi. The two discussed defense, trade and technology issues. The appointment of Gor, a close confidant to Trump, was widely seen as a positive move for the U.S.-India bilateral relationship.

Although Trump has pushed India to act, Trump has been more cautious with China. The ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing have made the U.S. administration hesitant to demand a similar commitment from China, fearing it could worsen the already strained relationship between the two countries.

India and China are currently the biggest buyers of Russian crude oil. Both countries have been purchasing large amounts of discounted Russian oil since Europe and the U.S. imposed sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Western nations banned Russian energy imports, India and China continued to buy cheap crude, helping Russia keep its oil revenues afloat. 

Data from research firm Kpler shows Russia exports about 3.35 million barrels of crude per day, with India taking about 1.7 million and China 1.1 million.

Trump has recently taken a strong stand against India over these imports. To pressure New Delhi into cutting its energy ties with Moscow, he imposed new tariffs on Indian exports to the United States. The first round of tariffs, a 25% tax on Indian imports, came earlier this year, followed by another 25% specifically targeting goods linked to Russian oil imports. The combined 50% tariff came into effect on 27th August.

New Delhi has defended those purchases, with Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri earlier said in July that New Delhi helped stabilize global energy prices and was encouraged by the U.S. to do so.

“If people or countries had stopped buying at that stage, the price of oil would have gone up to 130 dollars a barrel. That was a situation in which we were advised, including by our friends in the United States, to please buy Russian oil, but within the price cap,” Puri said.

Trump’s earlier claim and India’s denial

This is not the first time Trump has claimed that India would stop buying Russian oil. In August 2025, speaking to reporters in Washington, DC, Trump said, “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.” 

However, at that time and since, Indian officials have strongly denied such commitments. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement saying:

“We have already made clear our position on these issues, including the fact that our imports are based on market factors and done with the overall objective of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion people of India.

It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the U.S. should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest. 

We reiterate that these actions are unfair, unjustified and unreasonable. India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.”

Written by OpIndia Staff
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