Moscow (TDI): The Kremlin said on Tuesday that it has not received any confirmation from India indicating it would halt purchases of Russian oil, despite recent claims linked to a US-India trade agreement.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he had reached a deal with India to lower tariffs and claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to ending imports of Russian oil in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
India’s imports of Russian crude, often offered at discounted rates due to Western sanctions limiting buyers and transport options, have actually risen since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Western nations and Ukraine have been pressing to cut off Russia’s energy revenue, which is a critical source of funding for both its economy and military operations.
“So far, we haven’t received any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to AFP.
Read More: Trump Signals Another Tariff Hike on India Over Russian Oil Imports
Trump said the deal would reduce levies on Indian goods to 18 percent, down from the 25 percent “reciprocal” tariffs he had previously imposed, along with an additional 25 percent penalty on India’s purchases of Russian oil.
While Modi expressed gratitude for the “wonderful” phone conversation and the tariff relief, he did not comment on Trump’s statement regarding the halt of Russian oil imports.
In 2024, Russian crude accounted for almost 36 percent of India’s total imports, roughly 1.8 million barrels per day at discounted prices. However, after Trump imposed the tariffs, monthly oil imports from Russia reportedly fell by 38 percent, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
During a visit to New Delhi in late 2025, President Vladimir Putin assured India of “uninterrupted shipments” of Russian oil.
Read More: Trump Warns India of Massive Tariffs Over Russian Oil Purchases
Bilateral trade between Russia and India reached $68.7 billion in 2024–25, nearly six times the pre-pandemic level, largely driven by Russian energy exports, while India’s exports to Russia remained below $5 billion.
