Trump says Modi has assured him that India will not steal Russian oil

By Nandita BOSE and Jarrett Renshaw

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop playing oil in Russia, and Trump said he would try to do the same as Washington stepped up efforts to cut Moscow’s revenue.

India and China are the two top buyers of Russian Seare Seare Exerters, receiving reduced prices from Russia they were forced to accept after European purchases after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Trump recently targeted India for its purchases of Russian oil, tariffs on Indian exports to the US to cripple oil revenues and pressure on Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.

“So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he assured me that he would not buy Russian oil,” he told reporters during a White House event.

“This is a big step. Now we will get China to do the same thing.”

The Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about how Medi had made such a commitment to Trump.

Russia is India’s top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, about one-third of the country’s oil imports. For months, Modi resisted US pressure, with Indian officials defending the purchase as essential to national energy security.

While imports from other producers may cost Indians more, lower oil prices may have an impact. Benchmark Brent Crude futures hit a five-month low on Wednesday on concerns about oversupply in the market.

Going through India to stop imports will signal a major shift by one of Moscow’s top energy buyers, able to refer Calculators to other nations that still import Russian Crude. Trump wants to block the relationship between the alliances so that they can take advantage of Russia’s economic interests, rather than relying only on the riches of the international situation.

The announcement comes just days after Trump’s new pick for Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, met with Modi. These are two defensive issues, technical and technical issues. The appointment of Gore, who is close to Trump, was widely seen as a positive move for US-India relations.

During his comments to the leaders, Trump added that India could not be moved “quickly” to stop the export, calling it “a small process, but that process will end soon.”

Despite his pressure on India, Trump has largely avoided putting similar pressure on China. The US trade war with Beijing has complex political implications, with Trump reluctant to risk further escalation by seeking a freeze on China’s energy imports from Russia.

Trump imposed 25 tariffs on India this summer after the two countries failed to reach an initial trade deal. It followed with a 25 percent increase due to the country’s imports of Russian oil. India has sparked protests because none of the other top buyers of Russian oil, such as China or Turkey, have been hit with similar tariffs.

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