India has decided to maintain its purchase of Russian oil, even in the face of potential penalties threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing Indian officials. The move underscores India’s commitment to its energy security amid fluctuating geopolitical tensions and growing pressure from the West.
Despite Trump’s recent warning that countries continuing to purchase Russian oil or weapons may face 100% tariffs unless Russia agrees to a substantial peace deal with Ukraine, Indian officials appear unmoved. In a post on his Truth Social platform last month, Trump explicitly named India among nations that could face additional U.S. penalties for engaging in energy trade with Moscow.
However, in a seemingly contradictory statement this week, the U.S. president claimed he had been told that India was no longer importing Russian oil. Indian officials quickly rejected that assertion.
Two senior Indian government officials told the New York Times that there had been no policy change regarding oil imports from Russia. One official clarified that the government “has not given any direction to oil companies” to scale back purchases. This statement suggests that Indian energy firms are free to make decisions based on commercial considerations, not political pressure.
Russia remains India’s top oil supplier, providing approximately 35% of the country’s crude oil needs. While there were reports from Reuters that Indian state-run refiners briefly paused purchases due to shrinking discounts on Russian crude in July, this was seen more as a market-driven decision than one influenced by U.S. threats.
Neither India’s Ministry of External Affairs nor the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued a public response to Trump’s remarks. Similarly, the White House has not commented further.
India’s position reflects a broader foreign policy approach rooted in strategic autonomy, especially when it comes to balancing relations with major global powers.
