India to Stop Buying Russian Oil, Trump Claims, as US Pushes to Cut Kremlin War Funding

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump has asserted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil, a move the U.S. is pushing globally as a key economic measure to pressure the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, President Trump claimed he received personal assurances from Modi that India would cease its purchases “within a short period of time,” calling the development “a big stop.”

India Confirms ‘Ongoing’ Discussions
The announcement comes as the Trump administration has sought to leverage India’s reliance on Russian energy, even imposing massive tariffs on Indian goods as punishment for continuing the trade.

In response to the President’s statement, an Indian government spokesman offered a more measured response. The spokesman confirmed that discussions were “ongoing” with the U.S. administration, which had “shown interest in deepening energy co-operation with India.”

However, the spokesman’s statement notably maintained India’s primary objective: “Our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”

Global Energy Pressure Campaign
Oil and gas remain Russia’s largest exports, with China, India, and Turkey being among Moscow’s biggest customers. The Trump administration is now focused on securing commitments from the remaining major buyers.

“Now I’ve got to get China to do the same thing,” Trump said, outlining his administration’s broader push to cut off funding for Moscow’s military campaign.

Concurrently, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent communicated the “expectation” for Japan to stop importing Russian oil and gas during a meeting with visiting Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Wednesday.

President Trump acknowledged that India could not “immediately” halt oil shipments, describing the shift as “a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon.”

Tariffs and Double Standards
The dispute over Russian oil has been a major strain on U.S.-India relations. In August, the Trump administration imposed 50% tariffs on goods from India—among the highest in the world—which include a 25% penalty specifically targeting transactions with Russia.

Despite the pressure, Prime Minister Modi has for months stood firm on a policy of neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war. Indian officials have pushed back against the U.S. accusations that Delhi profits from the war, citing what they call a double standard given the ongoing trade between Russia and countries in the U.S. and Europe.

India, the world’s fifth-largest economy, relies heavily on discounted Russian crude oil. Although the disagreement has strained ties, Trump praised the Indian leader on Wednesday as a “great man,” following Modi’s remarks last week that he spoke with Trump and they “reviewed good progress achieved in trade negotiations.”