Trump says he heard India halted Russian oil purchases after tariff threat, calls it 'good step'

Days after introducing high tariffs against India, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he heard that India is no longer purchasing oil from Russia. While speaking to the reporters, Trump went on to describe the halting of oil purchases as a “good step”.

“I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for his weekend trip to his Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey. “That’s what I heard. I don’t know if that’s right or not, but that’s a good step. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

Earlier this week, Trump accused New Delhi of committing unfair trade practices by extensively purchasing oil and military equipment from Russia. “INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST,” he wrote on Wednesday on Truth Social.

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#WATCH | "I understand that India is no longer going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard, I don't know if that's right or not. That is a good step. We will see what happens..." says, US President Donald Trump on a question by ANI, if he had a number in mind for the… pic.twitter.com/qAbGUkpE12

— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2025

However, he is yet to reveal the specifics of the “penalty”. While Trump admitted that India is a “friend”. He slammed India’s trade barriers and Russia connections. “India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World,” he wrote.

The trade between the US and India has remained substantial for decades, with goods reaching $129 billion in 2024, and Washington running a $45.7 billion trade deficit, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

India looks for options

Trump’s remarks on the matter came days after multiple media reports suggested that Indian state refiners have temporarily paused Russian oil purchases due to narrowing discounts and shipping challenges. However, the Indian government has yet to confirm the move officially.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday responded to the criticisms hurled by the Trump administration and defended India’s longstanding partnership with Russia.

“India and Russia share a steady and time-tested partnership,” he said. Jaiswal also reaffirmed the strength of the India-US relationship, noting it is based on “shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties,” and expressed confidence that bilateral relations would continue to move forward despite current tensions.