In yet another striking public statement, US President Donald Trump has claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will halt oil purchases from Russia. Addressing the media in Washington, Donald Trump stated that India’s decision to reduce Russian oil imports would aid his efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“He (PM Modi) has assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia. It’s a process, but it’s going to be over soon,” said the US President. Trump further added that India halting Russian oil imports would make it “much easier” to broker peace between Moscow and Kyiv, the capital cities of the warring neighbour countries Russia and Ukraine.
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has yet to issue a statement confirming or denying Trump’s statements. On the other hand, India has consistently maintained that affordable Russian oil is vital to stabilizing domestic fuel prices, defending its energy ties with Moscow.
Trump’s statement has led the opposition parties, including the Congress, to target the Modi government, describing Trump’s interference in India’s sovereign energy policy. “PM Modi allows Trump to decide,” the Congress party said in a scathing social media post.
Meanwhile, despite Trump’s claims, India continues to rely heavily on Russian oil imports. According to commodity analytics firm Kpler, India accounted for 34% of Russia’s seaborne crude exports in September 2025, even after a 10% dip in imports during the year. India imported more than 4.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in September, higher than in August.
Trump has imposed 25 percent punitive tariffs on India’s Russian oil purchases, the highest among major trading partners, on top of earlier taxes, bringing the total US tariff burden on India to 50%. It’s worth noting that while China remains Russia’s top oil buyer alongside India, Trump has yet to impose similar penalties on China, prompting criticism of Trump’s hypocrisy and India’s failed foreign policy.
This post was last modified on 16 October 2025 2:41 pm
Siddhu Jonnalagadda is set to team up with director Bobby, a close associate of Sukumar,…
Happy Journey brings together seven female actors, and the movie, which was released yesterday, has…
Vijay Sai Reddy is preparing to launch a new political party in Andhra Pradesh, and…
Social media wars between the political parties have become quite common these days. Now a…
The Tirumala Laddu controversy has been one of the most controversial and socially significant events…
Nabha Natesh brought major glam to the SIIMA red carpet, and she definitely nailed it.…