U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop buying Russian oil as Washington intensifies efforts to curb Moscow’s energy revenues and pressure the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump said Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would halt its Russian oil imports “within a short period of time,” calling the move “a big stop.”
A spokesperson for the Indian embassy in Washington declined to comment. If confirmed, the decision would mark a major shift in India’s position, as New Delhi has long resisted U.S. calls to reduce its energy trade with Russia, citing national interests and the need for affordable fuel.
Oil and gas remain Russia’s largest export earners, with China, India, and Turkey among its main buyers. “Now I’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” President Trump said, adding that the U.S. is also urging Japan and other allies to scale down their Russian energy imports.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he had discussed this expectation with Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato during bilateral talks in Washington on Wednesday.
President Trump acknowledged that India could not “immediately” stop all shipments but said the process was already underway. He defended the high tariffs recently imposed on Indian goods, some reaching 50 percent, describing them as necessary to discourage trade with Russia, particularly in oil and defense sectors.
The tariffs, among the highest in the world, include a 25 percent penalty on transactions linked to Russia, which the U.S. government says continue to support Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Modi has maintained that India remains neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that its engagement with Moscow is guided by economic and strategic considerations. Indian officials have also criticized what they view as U.S. double standards, noting that several Western countries continue to trade with Russia despite sanctions.
India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, has relied heavily on discounted Russian crude to stabilize fuel prices and contain inflation. The dispute over Russian oil has added tension to U.S.–India relations, though President Trump on Wednesday described Modi as “a great man” and praised progress in trade discussions.
Last week, Prime Minister Modi said he had spoken with President Trump and that both leaders “reviewed good progress achieved in trade negotiations,” suggesting that dialogue between Washington and New Delhi remains open despite differing positions on Russian energy imports.
