Web Desk, October 20, 2025
US President Donald Trump has warned Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if India does not halt its imports of Russian oil, it will continue to face “heavy tariffs.”
However, Trump reiterated that Modi has assured him that India will cease purchasing Russian oil.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi, and he told me they won’t be buying Russian oil.” He claimed on Wednesday that Modi personally assured him over the phone that India would end Russian oil imports.
But India’s Ministry of External Affairs has expressed ignorance of any such contact, stating that India’s top priority is protecting consumer interests.
When questioned about the Indian ministry’s statement denying knowledge of the conversation, Trump replied, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Russia’s oil purchases have been a major sticking point in US-India trade negotiations. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods, with half of them in response to India’s Russian oil imports.
The US government’s stance is that revenue from Russian oil funds Moscow’s military actions against Ukraine. Since Western sanctions on Russia, India has become the world’s largest buyer of discounted Russian oil.
A White House official stated on Thursday that India has halved its Russian oil purchases.
However, Indian media reports indicate no clear decline has been observed yet. Sources note that orders for November and December have already been placed, so any potential reduction may appear in December or January import figures.
According to estimates from commodities data provider Kpler, India’s Russian oil imports could reach 1.9 million barrels per day this month—a 20% increase—as Russia boosts exports following Ukrainian attacks
