Trump threatens to maintain hefty tariffs on India until Russian oil imports stop

US President Donald Trump on Sunday reiterated that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured him India would halt Russian oil purchases, warning that New Delhi would face “massive” tariffs if it did not comply.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.”

When asked about India’s denial of any such conversation, Trump responded, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”

Russian oil has been a key sticking point in prolonged trade talks with India about half of Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for these purchases. The US government has said that petroleum revenues fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.

India has become the largest buyer of discounted seaborne Russian oil after Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Trump had said Modi assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil. India’s foreign ministry, however, stated it was unaware of any telephone conversation between the leaders that day, emphasizing that New Delhi’s main priority is “safeguarding the interests of the Indian consumer.”

A White House official said on Thursday that India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen.

The sources said Indian refiners already placed orders for November loading, including some slated for December arrival, so any cut may start showing up in December or January import numbers.

India’s imports of Russian oil are set to rise about 20% this month to 1.9 million barrels per day, according to estimates from commodities data firm Kpler, as Russia ramps up exports after Ukrainian drones hit its refineries.