Trump Claims India Has De-escalated Russian Oil Purchases Amid Washington Trade Talks

Washington, Oct 2025 : U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated his assertion that India has “de-escalated” its purchases of Russian oil, as he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.

“India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore. They have already de-escalated, and they have more or less stopped; they are pulling back. They bought about 38 percent of the oil, and they won’t be doing it anymore,” Trump said during the meeting.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Trump had claimed that he had been “assured” India would halt its Russian oil imports, though he acknowledged that implementing the change could not happen “immediately.” He said, “He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia… You can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin is… stop this.”

Trump emphasized that India’s reduced oil purchases from Russia would make it “much easier” to bring the ongoing conflict to an end. “Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they’ll go back to Russia after the war’s over,” he added. Trump also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great man” and India as “an incredible country.”

However, India has officially refuted Trump’s claims about a conversation with PM Modi. When asked during a weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Regarding the comment from the US on the energy issue, we have already issued a statement, which you can refer to. As for the telephonic conversation, I can say that there has been no discussion between the Prime Minister and President Trump.”

While India has increasingly purchased Russian oil over the last few years, China remains Moscow’s largest energy buyer. The Trump administration had imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India in August for buying Russian oil, while taking no similar action against China.

Trump’s statements come as India’s trade delegation is in Washington for a fresh round of negotiations with U.S. officials. The Indian Commerce Ministry had earlier indicated that the country could import crude oil and natural gas worth $12-$13 billion from the U.S. without modifying refinery configurations. The government has expressed interest in diversifying its energy import portfolio, provided supplies are available at the “right price.”

The trade discussions follow closely on the heels of the new U.S. ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, meeting PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi. The talks are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen U.S.-India trade ties amid broader geopolitical concerns, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and global energy supply stability.