Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, directly targeting Washington’s pressure campaign against India’s purchases of Russian oil. He argued that the US itself continues to import Russian nuclear
fuel and insisted that New Delhi should not be held to a different standard.
Putin made the remarks in an interview with India Today hours before landing in New Delhi for a two-day state visit during which he was warmly received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit aims to deepen bilateral trade and broaden the range of goods exchanged between the two long-standing partners.
Questioning the US’ decision on giving sanctions, Putin said, “The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants. That is also fuel.” He added, “This question deserves thorough examination, and we stand ready to discuss it, including with President Trump.”
India has repeatedly rejected Washington’s criticism, calling the Trump administration’s tariffs on Indian goods “unjustified and unreasonable,” especially while the US and EU continue to import significant volumes of Russian LNG, enriched uranium, and other commodities.
Despite Western sanctions, India has become the top buyer of seaborne Russian oil since 2022.
However, India’s crude imports are expected to hit a three-year low this month amid US tariff escalation and tighter sanctions on Moscow. The Trump administration has argued that India’s purchase of discounted Russian oil indirectly finances Moscow’s war in Ukraine, a claim New Delhi dismisses.
Putin acknowledged a temporary softening in trade flows but downplayed its significance. “There is a certain decline in overall trade turnover during the first nine months of this year… This is just a minor adjustment. Overall, our trade turnover stands almost at the same level as before,” he said. He stressed that “Russian oil is running smoothly in India.”
