U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that India would continue facing “massive” tariffs unless it stops importing Russian oil, reiterating that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him of plans to end such purchases.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
When informed that Indian officials said they were unaware of any recent conversation between Modi and Trump, the U.S. president responded, “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 imports have been a key sticking point in long-running trade talks between Washington and New Delhi. Trump has imposed steep tariffs — reportedly up to 50% on certain Indian goods — partly in retaliation for India’s continued purchases of Russian crude. The U.S. argues that oil revenue supports Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
India has become the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne oil since Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
An Indian government official, speaking anonymously, said trade negotiations with the U.S. were proceeding in a “congenial” manner, but declined to provide further details. India’s trade ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday, which was a public holiday.
Trump previously claimed on Wednesday that Modi had personally assured him India would stop buying Russian oil. However, India’s foreign ministry said it was unaware of such a phone call, emphasizing that its priority remained to “safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer.”
A White House official stated on Thursday that India has halved its imports of Russian oil, though Indian industry sources disputed this, saying there had been no noticeable reduction.
According to estimates from commodities data firm Kpler, India’s imports of Russian crude are expected to rise by about 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, as Russia boosts exports after Ukrainian drone strikes disrupted some of its refinery operations.
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Source:Africa Publicity
