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Trump, Donald

Trump Claims Modi Assured Him India Will Stop Buying Russian Oil

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

US President Donald Trump said during a White House event that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him that India would stop purchasing Russian oil, following Washington's imposition of a 25 per cent tariff on India over those imports. Trump also asserted that pressuring China to stop buying Russian oil would be "relatively easy" compared to the efforts made in the Middle East. He further stated that he would next try to get China to join India in stopping Russian oil imports.

Key Takeaways:

  • US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would stop purchasing Russian oil.
  • Trump stated that pressuring China to stop buying Russian oil would be "relatively easy" compared to the efforts made in the Middle East.
  • Indian Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said that India has a "headroom of around $12--15 billion" to purchase oil from the US, and the country could step up energy imports from the US to strike a deal.
  • India's oil imports from the US jumped 11 per cent in September, while exports slipped 12 per cent.
  • The US had imposed additional 25 per cent tariffs on Indian products, resulting in a 12 per cent decline in Indian exports.
  • Despite US rhetoric, India has shown no signs of backing down on Russian oil imports, and Indian public sector refiners have stated that they will continue to buy Russian oil as long as it remains economically and commercially viable.
  • Indian government officials have indicated that India is willing to step up energy imports from the US.
  • The US President expressed his eagerness to end the Russia-Ukraine war and praised his relationship with Modi, stating that Modi is a "great man" who loves him.

Statistics:

  • India's oil imports from the US jumped 11 per cent in September.
  • Indian exports slipped 12 per cent in September.
  • The new tariffs imposed by the US resulted in a 12 per cent decline in Indian exports.
  • India's energy purchases from the US have fallen from $25 billion to around $12--13 billion over the past 7-8 years.
  • There is a "headroom of around $12--15 billion" for India to purchase oil from the US without worrying about the configuration of refineries.
  • The total tariffs on Indian products are now 50 per cent.

Sources:

  • Trump, D. " Press Conference at the White House." Source of speech, 2025.
  • "Trade data released for September." Unknown publication, September 2025.
  • "Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Energy Purchases." September 2025.

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