India will continue purchasing discounted Russian oil despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s warnings of additional penalties if New Delhi fails to curb such imports, Indian officials told The New York Times on Saturday.
Trump had earlier said India could face new tariffs if it did not halt Russian oil imports but did not specify what “additional consequences” might follow. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump suggested India might already be reducing purchases, calling it “a positive step,” though he said he could not confirm the reports.
Two senior Indian officials said the country’s policy had not changed and that no instructions had been issued to state-owned refiners to cut Russian crude purchases.
India’s foreign ministry spokesperson, without directly responding to Trump’s remarks, said in a briefing that New Delhi’s bilateral ties were based on mutual interests and “should not be viewed through the lens of a third country.” He added that India and Russia share a “time-tested partnership.”
Analysts say Trump’s focus on India’s Russian oil imports may be a negotiating tactic. China and Turkey, also major buyers of Russian crude, have not faced similar threats from Washington.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, India has sharply increased imports of Russian oil – from less than 1% of total imports before the war to more than 60% today. With daily purchases exceeding 2 million barrels, India is now the second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China.
