New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that New Delhi has assured him that India will curb its Russian oil imports. Trump cited a personal assurance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the same. The US leader claimed the process of phasing out oil imports will be ‘gradual. He also claimed that the purchase would be ‘sharply reduced’ by the end of the year.
“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop…it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing; almost 40 per cent of the oil. India, they’ve been great. Spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday. They’ve been absolutely great,” Trump told reporters.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has denied any agreement with the US. India has repeatedly emphasised its priority to safeguard consumer interests, saying the country’s energy policy prioritises stable prices and secure supplies.
#WATCH | Washington DC | Regarding his upcoming meetign with Chinese President Xi, US President Donald Trump says, “India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop…it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to… pic.twitter.com/XXdL1ETOZf
— ANI (@ANI) October 22, 2025
Trump also showed optimism about his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He hoped to leverage their talks to broker a truce between Russia and Ukraine.
The US leader said he plans to discuss Beijing’s Russian energy and oil trade with Jinping.
“China is a little bit different. They have a little bit different relationship with Russia. It was never good, but because of Biden and Obama, they got forced together. They should never have been forced together… They (China-Russia) can’t be friendly… I hope they are friendly, but they can’t be,” he said.
“(Former Presidents) Biden and Obama forced them together because of energy and oil. They are closer than they would normally be. I’ll probably be talking about it. What I’ll really be talking to him about is how we end the war with Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s through oil or energy or anything else. I think he’s going to be very receptive,” he added.
Earlier, Washington threatened that Beijing could face 155 per cent tariffs from November 1 if no deals are made by them.
Meanwhile, India’s major oil refiners were reportedly preparing to significantly reduce imports of Russian crude oil in response to recent US sanctions targeting two of Russia’s top producers, industry sources told Reuters.
What’s happening
The US has imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, with a deadline of November 21 for companies worldwide to wind down any transactions.
Indian refiners — including state-run firms such as Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL), and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) — are examining their contracts and bills of lading to ensure they are not sourcing crude directly from Rosneft or Lukoil after the deadline, the Reuters report claimed.
Private refiner Reliance Industries, which operates the world’s largest refining complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat, plans to reduce or potentially halt imports of Russian oil under a long-term deal that had been for nearly 500,000 barrels per day from Rosneft, the report further states.
Why this matters
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, India has emerged as the largest buyer of discounted seaborne Russian crude, with imports of roughly 1.7 million barrels per day in the first nine months of 2025.
The deal with Russian crude has posed a trade irritant between India and the US. Trump has linked rises in Indian purchases of Russian oil with US trade tariffs on Indian goods.
For Indian refiners, the sanctions present logistical and contractual complications: while many purchases have been made via intermediaries (rather than directly from Rosneft or Lukoil), the requirement to trace origin and comply with US sanctions adds compliance burdens.
