India will continue purchasing oil from Russia despite President Donald Trump's escalating threats of U.S. sanctions, senior Indian officials confirmed, pushing back against claims that New Delhi had ended its Russian crude imports. The reaffirmation came just days after Trump warned of 25% tariffs on Indian goods and set an August 8 deadline for Russia to halt its invasion of Ukraine or face broader penalties targeting countries importing Russian energy.
"I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia," Trump told reporters Friday. "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, officials cited by India's ANI news agency and The New York Times denied any policy shift. One Indian government source said, "These are long-term oil contracts. It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Another confirmed there had been "no direction to oil companies" to halt imports.
India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Friday, "We look at what is available in the markets, what is on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances." He added that India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia, underscoring New Delhi's view that its foreign policy decisions "should not be seen from the prism of a third country."
Trump's remarks followed earlier reports by Reuters that Indian state-owned refiners-IOC, HPCL, BPCL, and MRPL-had pulled back from Russian oil in recent days due to narrowing price discounts and tightening Western sanctions. But sources familiar with the plans said the pause was based on economics, not political pressure.
India is the world's third-largest oil importer, and Russia has been its top supplier since the Ukraine invasion began. During the first half of 2025, India imported approximately 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil, about 35% of total supply, according to data reviewed by Reuters.
Trump has criticized India's ties with Moscow, writing on Truth Social that while India "is our friend," it remains "Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China." In a second post, he added: "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care."
Indian officials reiterated that their purchases of Russian crude complied with global rules. "India's purchases have remained fully legitimate and within the framework of international norms," a source told ANI. They noted that Russian oil has not been directly sanctioned by the U.S. or EU, but instead subjected to a G7-EU price cap to curb Moscow's revenue while preserving supply.
Officials also argued India's imports helped stabilize global oil prices amid OPEC+ production cuts of 5.8 million barrels per day, preventing costs from surpassing the March 2022 high of $137 per barrel.
Separately, Nayara Energy, a major Indian buyer of Russian crude partially owned by Rosneft, was recently sanctioned by the European Union. Reuters reported that Nayara's CEO resigned and shipments were delayed as a result of the new sanctions. Despite these setbacks, broader Indian-Russian energy trade continues.
