Russia on Trump’s India Trade Deal Remarks: ‘We Have Not Heard Anything from India on Halting Oil Purchases’

Russia on Tuesday clarified that it has not received any official communication from India regarding a halt in Russian oil purchases, responding to claims made by former US President Donald Trump that New Delhi had agreed to stop buying Russian crude as part of a new trade agreement with Washington.

The Kremlin’s response followed Trump’s announcement of a long-anticipated India-US trade deal that significantly reduces tariffs on Indian exports to the United States from nearly 50% to 18%. Trump claimed the agreement included India’s commitment to discontinue Russian oil imports and remove several trade barriers.

According to Trump, the deal was approved “out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi” and at Modi’s request. He further stated that India had agreed to increase purchases of energy and other goods from the United States and potentially from Venezuela.

“India agreed to stop buying Russian oil and buy more from the US,” Trump said, portraying the agreement as a diplomatic and economic breakthrough after more than a year of trade tensions between the two democracies.

However, Moscow has pushed back against this narrative. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia was carefully reviewing Trump’s remarks but emphasized that no formal indication had been received from New Delhi.

“So far, we have not heard any statements from Delhi on this issue,” Peskov said when asked directly whether India had decided to cease purchasing Russian oil.

Peskov also underscored that while Russia respects bilateral relations between India and the United States, Moscow places equal—if not greater—importance on its long-standing partnership with India.

“We respect US-Indian relations,” he said, adding, “but we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India. This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further strengthen our bilateral ties with Delhi.”

India emerged as the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne oil after the start of Moscow’s war in Ukraine in 2022. As Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to curb its revenues, Indian refiners increased imports, citing national energy security and competitive pricing.

Trump has repeatedly criticised India for continuing to purchase Russian oil, arguing that such trade indirectly supports Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. He claimed that during his conversation with Prime Minister Modi, the two leaders discussed ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

“He agreed to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela,” Trump said, asserting that this shift would help bring the war to an end. “Thousands of people are dying each and every week,” he added.

Notably, while New Delhi has welcomed the reduced tariff rate and described it as a boost for “Made in India” exports, it has not publicly confirmed any decision to halt Russian oil imports. The absence of an official Indian statement has added uncertainty around the implementation and scope of Trump’s claims.

As geopolitical tensions, energy markets, and global trade realignments continue to evolve, Russia’s response highlights the gap between political announcements and diplomatic confirmations. Observers are now watching closely to see whether India clarifies its position on Russian oil and how the competing strategic interests of Washington, Moscow, and New Delhi will unfold in the months ahead.