Highlights:
- The US claims India halved Russian oil imports.
- Indian refiners deny any official directive to cut.
- Data shows imports may rise 20% this month.
- Trump says Modi pledged to end Russian oil buys, but India denies it.
Russia remains confident of continued energy cooperation with India. The US said India has reduced its purchases of Russian oil by nearly half, as Washington presses New Delhi to scale back imports funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. A White House official stated that talks with an Indian delegation this week were “productive” and that refiners had already begun cutting Russian crude imports by 50 per cent.
However, Indian industry sources strongly rejected the claim, saying no such directive had been issued to refiners. “No orders or government communications have been made asking refiners to cut Russian imports,” one source told Reuters, noting that shipments for November and December were already booked.
India’s oil imports show no decline
According to data from commodities firm Kpler, India’s imports of Russian oil are actually projected to rise 20 per cent this month to 1.9 million barrels per day as Russia increases exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries. The Indian oil ministry and state-owned refiners declined to comment, maintaining silence amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
Russia accounted for 36 per cent of India’s total oil imports in the six months through September, underscoring its importance as a supplier offering discounted crude after Western sanctions.
Trump’s pressure and Modi’s response
President Donald Trump claimed earlier this week that Indian prime minister Narendra Modi had “assured” him during a phone call that India would soon stop buying Russian oil. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) refuted this, saying it was unaware of any such call and reaffirming that India’s import policy prioritizes energy security and consumer stability.
India’s oil minister, meanwhile, has sought detailed reports on Russian oil imports and future loadings from domestic refiners, signaling the government’s intent to closely monitor developments without committing to cuts.
Trade talks falter amid tariff strain
Russian oil remains a key irritant in ongoing US-India trade negotiations, with Trump imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods partly in retaliation for New Delhi’s Russian imports. India’s hopes for a quick trade pact have dimmed, despite pledges during Modi’s February visit to double annual US energy purchases to $25 billion and push bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
Moscow Confident of Continued Partnership
The Kremlin, dismissing Washington’s assertions, expressed confidence that its “energy partnership with India will continue.” Spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggested Russia could even offer cheaper oil to countries under US pressure to halt purchases.
