India to Continue Importing Russian Oil, Defying Trump Threats

India will maintain its oil imports from Russia despite warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump about possible sanctions, Reuters reported, citing long-term supply contracts and logistical complexities.

Last month, Trump posted on Truth Social that India could face new sanctions over its continued purchases of Russian oil and weapons. On Friday, he told reporters he had been informed that India would soon halt Russian oil imports.

However, according to The New York Times, which cited two senior Indian officials, there has been no shift in government policy. One official stated that New Delhi has issued no directive to state-run refiners to reduce Russian crude imports.

Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed this position during a press briefing Friday. “As far as our energy requirements are concerned, we assess what is available in the market, what is being offered, and the global context,” he said. Jaiswal added that India maintains a “stable and time-tested partnership” with Russia and that its foreign relations operate independently of third-party influence.

Despite the government’s stance, India’s state-run refiners have scaled back purchases of Russian crude in recent weeks as discounts have fallen to their lowest levels since Western sanctions on Moscow began in 2022. Sources familiar with refinery operations said companies including Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemical Ltd have not placed new orders for Russian crude in the past week.

Russia remains India’s top oil supplier, accounting for about 35% of the country’s total crude imports in the first half of 2025. It is followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. India — the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer — imported an average of 1.75 million barrels of Russian oil per day between January and June, a 1% increase year-on-year.

Source: tovima.com