Trump Pressures India To Cut Russian Oil Or Face ‘Massive’ Tariffs
US President Donald Trump warned India on Oct 19 that it would face “massive” tariffs if it continued buying Russian oil, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him New Delhi would halt such purchases, Reuters reported.
“I spoke with Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Asked about India’s denial of such a conversation, Trump said, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs and they don’t want to do that.”
Russian oil remains a sticking point in ongoing US-India trade talks, with half of Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods said to be in retaliation for those imports. Washington argues that India’s purchases help fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
India has become the top buyer of discounted Russian crude since Western sanctions were imposed on Moscow after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. While a White House official said last week that India had halved its Russian oil purchases, Indian industry sources dispute this, saying orders for November and December remain steady.
According to data firm Kpler, India’s imports of Russian crude are expected to rise 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia boosts exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.
Despite Trump’s warning, Indian officials have maintained that the country’s top priority is safeguarding consumer interests and energy security amid volatile global prices.
