The Kremlin said Tuesday that it had not received any information from India about its alleged plans to stop purchasing Russian oil after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new trade deal with India that slashes tariffs on Indian goods.
“So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Trump said Monday that the United States would lower the reciprocal duty imposed on India during his waves of global “Liberation Day” tariffs last year from 25% to 18%.
A White House official told AFP that Washington would also drop a puntititive 25% duty on all imports from India imposed over its purchases of Russian oil.
On social media, Trump said India agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil and “buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.” He framed the move as a step toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Peskov told reporters that Russia is “carefully monitoring the news” surrounding Trump’s claim.
On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked Trump for a “wonderful” phone call and the easing of tariffs. However, Modi did not address whether his country would stop buying Russian oil.
India’s Foreign Ministry has also not commented on the claim by Trump, who has previously accused both India and China of helping to finance Russia’s war against Ukraine through their continued purchases of Russian oil.
In 2024, Russia supplied nearly 36% of India's total crude imports, around 1.8 million barrels of discounted oil per day.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, also sources crude from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
As recently as December, President Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to continue “uninterrupted shipments” of oil to India despite pressure from the Trump administration.
Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow “respects” U.S.-Indian relations, but prioritizes its own “strategic partnership” with India.
“And we intend to continue to comprehensively develop our bilateral relations with New Delhi, which is exactly what we’re doing,” he told reporters.
AFP contributed reporting.
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