The White House said India has slashed its purchases of Russian oil by half, but officials and industry sources in New Delhi disputed the claim, underscoring renewed tension in U.S.-India trade relations and disagreement over energy policy amid President Donald Trump's efforts to isolate Moscow.
A senior White House official told Reuters that Indian refiners had already reduced Russian imports by 50% following talks in Washington this week. The official described the meetings as "productive" and said the cut marked progress toward Trump's goal of pressuring nations to curb Russia's oil revenue.
However, Indian industry executives told reporters that no such instructions had been received. "Refiners have already placed orders for November loading, including some cargoes for December arrival," one source said, noting that any real reduction "could be visible in December or January import numbers." Data from commodities tracker Kpler projected India's Russian oil imports to rise by about 20% in October to 1.9 million barrels per day.
Trump claimed Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally promised to halt Russian oil purchases. He had "assured me today that they (India) will not be buying oil from Russia," Trump said, calling it a "big step." But India's foreign ministry rejected the assertion, saying it was "not aware of any conversation" between the two leaders.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India's energy policy remains focused on "stable energy prices and secured supplies," adding that the country continues to "broad-base our energy sourcing and diversify as appropriate to meet market conditions."
Trump's trade team has made India's Russian crude purchases a central sticking point in negotiations. Half of the 50% tariffs Washington has imposed on Indian goods were enacted in retaliation for those imports, according to U.S. officials. Trump's administration contends that Moscow is using oil revenues to fund its war in Ukraine.
India, the world's third-largest crude importer, has emerged as Russia's biggest buyer of seaborne oil since Western nations imposed sanctions after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In the six months through September, Russia accounted for roughly 36% of India's total oil imports-around 1.75 million barrels per day, according to trade data.
Despite U.S. pressure, India's government has defended its purchases as essential for maintaining domestic energy security. Analysts say replacing Russian supplies quickly is unrealistic. "I don't think India can stop buying Russian oil overnight," said Muyu Xu, senior oil analyst at Kpler. "The volumes are simply too large... differences in crude quality and refinery yields make substitution far from a one-for-one swap."
Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods in August, citing New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian energy. The move followed a February meeting between the two leaders where Modi pledged to double U.S. energy imports to $25 billion annually as part of a broader goal to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.
Oil prices dipped slightly Friday, with Brent crude futures down 0.79% to $60.58 a barrel as markets weighed uncertainty over global supply ahead of Trump's planned discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the Ukraine war.
