India says it will continue purchasing oil from Russia, pushing back against President Donald Trump‘s threat to impose new tariffs in response to its energy trade with Moscow.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Friday the country’s relationship with Russia is “steady and time-tested,” and that energy decisions are based on global supply and market factors—not political pressure from a “third country.”
Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on Indian goods, plus an additional tax, citing India’s large volume of Russian oil purchases.
India’s oil imports from Russia rose sharply after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, peaking at 2.15 million barrels per day in May 2023, per Kpler data cited by Press Trust of India.
Russian crude accounted for as much as 40% of India’s imports at one point, displacing traditional Middle Eastern suppliers.
Despite Western sanctions, India—now the third-largest oil importer globally—continues to buy discounted Russian oil to meet its energy demand, which is 88% import-dependent.
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