India has relented to President Donald Trump’s demands to cease buying Russian oil, Trump said during a press conference Wednesday.
Trump told reporters in the Oval office that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “assured” him that his nation will no longer purchase oil from Moscow. India previously had been reluctant to stop the imports, with the U.S. levying hefty punitive tariffs on India in August as punishment for the purchases.
“[Modi] can’t do it immediately, it’s a little bit of a process, but the process will be over with soon,” Trump told reporters. “Modi is a great man, he loves Trump.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Fox Oct. 9 that if it were not for India and China’s purchasing of Russian oil, the war in Ukraine would not be possible.
“They’re keeping the war going, but, as I said, it’s my strong belief that India is going to start rebalancing over the next few weeks and months, and we will see a diminishment of Russian oil in favor of U.S. oil,” Bessent said.
The timeline for India weaning off Russian oil supply isn’t immediately clear. India is one of Russia’s most loyal customers for oil, importing approximately 1.75 million barrels per day between January and June 2025.
Trump tariffs on India were accompanied by significant outcry from India, which sees the move as potentially damaging to the nation’s relationship.
The Trump administration has been attempting to put an economic squeeze on Russia to coax Russian President Vladimir Putin to the peace table. Trump is expected to call Putin Thursday just one day before hosting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House Friday, a source told Axios.
Trump has mulled giving Putin a new ultimatum: come to the peace table, or the U.S. will supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, according to Axios.
“President Trump is right. Productive discussions have occurred, and India is already cutting its purchases of Russian oil by 50 percent thanks to President Trump’s action,” a White House official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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