On Tuesday, The Kremlin said it had heard no statements from India about halting purchases of Russian oil after US President Donald Trump said New Delhi had agreed to stop such purchases as part of a trade accord with Washington.
Trump announced a trade deal on Monday with India that slashes US tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50% in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was carefully analysing Trump’s remarks on relations with India.
Asked directly if India had decided to stop buying Russian oil, Peskov said: “So far, we have not heard any statements from Delhi on this issue.”
“We respect bilateral U.S.-Indian relations,” Peskov told reporters. “But we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India.
“This is the most important thing for us,” he said, “and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi.”
India became the top buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude after Moscow’s war in Ukrainebegan in 2022. That generated a backlash among Western nations that have targeted Russia‘s energy sector with sanctions aimed at curbingMoscow’s revenues to make it harder to fund the war.
Russia’s Novak on India possibly cutting Russian oil imports: We have only seen public statements.
(With Reuters Inputs)
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
