Moscow/New Delhi: Russia has responded cautiously to claims by US President Donald Trump that India has agreed to halt purchases of Russian crude oil under a recent trade understanding with Washington, asserting that New Delhi remains free to source energy from any supplier of its choosing.
The Kremlin said India has long diversified its oil imports and that Russia is only one among several suppliers. Commenting on the matter, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that India’s practice of buying crude from multiple countries is well established and does not represent any sudden policy shift.
“Russia is not the sole exporter of oil and petroleum products to India. India has always purchased energy from a variety of sources. There is nothing unusual in this,” Peskov said when asked about President Trump’s remarks suggesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to replace Russian oil with supplies from the United States and possibly Venezuela.
Earlier, Peskov had also stated that Moscow had not received any official communication from India indicating a complete halt in Russian oil imports.
Echoing this position, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said energy cooperation between the two countries continues to be mutually advantageous. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow believes hydrocarbon trade with India benefits both economies and helps maintain stability in global energy markets, adding that Russia remains open to continued collaboration with Indian partners.
Russian business broadcaster Kommersant FM pointed out that while President Trump spoke of an agreement to stop Russian oil purchases, no such commitment was mentioned publicly by Prime Minister Modi following the announcement of the US–India trade deal.
India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since 2022, when Western nations reduced energy imports from Moscow following the Ukraine conflict. Before that, Russian oil accounted for a negligible share—around 0.2 per cent—of India’s total crude imports. Since then, India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, has significantly increased purchases of discounted Russian oil.
Currently, India imports nearly 88 per cent of its crude oil requirements, with roughly one-third coming from Russia. At its peak, imports crossed 2 million barrels per day, though volumes have moderated in recent months. According to data from analytics firm Kpler, India was importing about 1.5 million barrels of Russian crude daily even after the US imposed punitive tariffs linked to Russian energy purchases. That figure slipped to around 1.1 million barrels per day in early January following higher trade levies.
Energy experts say a complete replacement of Russian crude would be challenging. Igor Yushkov of the National Energy Security Fund said Indian refiners rely on specific grades of oil that cannot be easily substituted.
“US shale exports are mostly light crude, while Russian Urals is heavier and contains more sulphur. Refineries are designed around certain blends, and switching entirely would increase costs,” Yushkov said. He added that the US would also struggle to supply the volumes currently sourced from Russia.
Yushkov suggested that President Trump’s remarks may be aimed at projecting a strong negotiating outcome rather than reflecting immediate operational changes in India’s energy sourcing.
He also recalled that when Russia redirected oil exports toward Asia in 2022, it reduced output, contributing to a sharp rise in global crude prices that pushed fuel costs in the US to record highs.
For now, Moscow maintains that India’s energy decisions remain sovereign, and that bilateral oil trade continues to serve the interests of both countries amid ongoing shifts in the global energy landscape.
