Kremlin Sees No Indication from India on Halting Russian Oil Purchases

World

Russia says India has not said it will halt oil purchases

“**We haven’t heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” says Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. “The announcement by US President Donald Trump about a deal with India, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, has not been confirmed by Indian authorities.”

India’s purchases of Russian oil — discounted due to Western sanctions complicating logistics and cutting off markets — have surged since Russia launched its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine in February 2022. Ukraine and its Western allies are seeking to cut off billions of dollars in revenue, a vital source for Russia’s economy and military.

“So far, we haven’t heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Peskov told reporters, including AFP.

Ukraine and Western allies have been pressuring India to halt oil purchases from Russia. However, Trump announced tariffs reduction for Indian goods at 18% as part of the trade deal with India. Modi thanked Trump but did not mention halting oil purchases in his statement.

In 2024, Russia supplied nearly 36% of India’s total crude imports, around 1.8 million barrels per day. After Trump imposed tariffs on New Delhi, India’s monthly oil imports from Russia fell by 38%, according to local media citing data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had promised “uninterrupted shipments” during a visit to New Delhi in late 2025. Bilateral trade between the two sides reached $68.7 billion in 2024-25, nearly six times higher than pre-pandemic levels, dominated by Moscow’s energy sales with Indian exports accounting for under $5 billion.