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Russia has said it has received no information from India indicating that New Delhi plans to stop buying Russian oil, following US President Donald Trump’s claim that India had agreed to do so as part of a trade deal with Washington.
“So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, on Tuesday.
His comments came a day after Trump said on Truth Social that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to halt oil purchases from Russia in exchange for reduced US tariffs.
Reuters quoted the Kremlin as saying, “Our strategic partnership with India is most important.” Peskov also underscored that there has been no official communication indicating any change in bilateral energy cooperation and reiterated Moscow’s intent to continue developing ties with New Delhi.
The remarks come after Trump claimed that India had agreed to significantly boost purchases of US goods and halt crude oil imports from Russia as part of a new trade understanding with Washington. In a social media post, Trump said India would buy $500 billion worth of US products, framing the move as a step to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries.
The India–US trade agreement, announced late Monday, includes a reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent and sets an ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
Asked directly if India had decided to stop buying Russian oil, Peskov replied, “So far, we have not heard any statements from Delhi on this issue.”
He added, “We respect bilateral US-Indian relations, 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, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi.”
Since Moscow’s war in Ukraine began in 2022, India has become the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude. This has drawn criticism from Western nations, which have targeted Russia’s energy sector with sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow’s revenues to fund the war.
Trump has repeatedly accused India of indirectly supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine through its continued purchase of Russian oil.
“So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, on Tuesday.
His comments came a day after Trump said on Truth Social that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to halt oil purchases from Russia in exchange for reduced US tariffs.
Kremlin emphasises strategic partnership with India
Reuters quoted the Kremlin as saying, “Our strategic partnership with India is most important.” Peskov also underscored that there has been no official communication indicating any change in bilateral energy cooperation and reiterated Moscow’s intent to continue developing ties with New Delhi.
Trump touts trade deal with India
The remarks come after Trump claimed that India had agreed to significantly boost purchases of US goods and halt crude oil imports from Russia as part of a new trade understanding with Washington. In a social media post, Trump said India would buy $500 billion worth of US products, framing the move as a step to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries.
The India–US trade agreement, announced late Monday, includes a reduction in US tariffs on Indian goods from 25 per cent to 18 per cent and sets an ambitious goal of increasing bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.
Asked directly if India had decided to stop buying Russian oil, Peskov replied, “So far, we have not heard any statements from Delhi on this issue.”
He added, “We respect bilateral US-Indian relations, 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, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi.”
India remains top buyer of Russian crude
Since Moscow’s war in Ukraine began in 2022, India has become the largest buyer of discounted Russian seaborne crude. This has drawn criticism from Western nations, which have targeted Russia’s energy sector with sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow’s revenues to fund the war.
Trump has repeatedly accused India of indirectly supporting Russia’s aggression in Ukraine through its continued purchase of Russian oil.
