India ignores Trump and keeps Russian oil imports high

• India keeps Russian oil despite US pressure
• Trump threatens sanctions on Indian oil imports
• New Delhi strengthens partnership with Russia in the energy sector

India has reaffirmed that it will continue to import oil from Russia, even after current US President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff and further penalties. Indian officials assured that no instructions were given to oil companies to reduce Russian purchases.

According to official sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is maintaining its energy policy unchanged. At a recent press conference, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal stated that the country's foreign relations "are not shaped by external pressures" and emphasized that the partnership between India and Russia is stable and consolidated.

The statement came after Trump suggested that India had stopped buying Russian oil, a claim immediately refuted by New Delhi. India's response was blunt, pointing out that there had been no change in its import strategy. The Asian nation relies on about 90% imported oil and currently buys from more than 40 countries.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the share of Russian oil in Indian imports has risen from less than 1% to over 33%. India is currently the second-largest buyer of Russian oil, behind only China, purchasing approximately 2 million barrels per day.

Despite pressure from the US and Europe since 2022, New Delhi maintains that its purchases comply with the price caps imposed by the G7 and the European Union. In past meetings, US officials have even acknowledged the effectiveness of India's approach.

Former Indian ambassador to Moscow, Pankaj Saran, warned that Russia's withdrawal from India's energy portfolio would only benefit Beijing. "Even if India cuts imports to zero, China will continue to buy at low prices," the diplomat noted.

Amid tensions, the Indian government sees risk in volatile geopolitical decisions. According to sources close to the energy sector, long-term contracts and transportation routes signed with Russia are not easily replaceable, which reinforces New Delhi's position of continuity in its relations with Moscow.