The Kremlin has reacted strongly to recent claims made by US President Donald Trump that India would cease importing oil from Russia. Trump publicly asserted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave him assurances that New Delhi would halt purchases of Russian crude, framing the alleged commitment as a significant development in efforts to economically isolate Moscow and reduce funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine, reported AFP on Tuesday.
Trump’s remarks, delivered in Washington and reiterated in later comments, suggested India had “more or less stopped” buying Russian oil and described such a shift as a “good step” in global energy diplomacy.
"So far, we haven't heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter," AFP quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as telling reporters.
Peskov said Russia valued its relationship with India and would continue to develop its strategic partnership.
"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," he said.
Moscow’s official response has been dismissive of what it described as Washington’s pressure tactics and unfounded assertions. The spokesperson for the Kremlin made clear that the Russian government does not consider threats of tariffs or attempts to influence India’s energy policy to be legitimate, underscoring the principle that sovereign nations have the right to pursue trade and economic cooperation based on their own national interests. The Kremlin’s stance reflects a broader pushback against US efforts to dictate the energy choices of other major economies and to use punitive economic measures to influence their geopolitical alignments.
The Russian position emphasises that dialogue on energy and trade should respect the commercial decisions of partners like India, whose relationship with Moscow on energy supplies has been longstanding and commercially driven. Russia has reiterated that its energy cooperation with India remains solid and that discounted Russian crude continues to be in demand, framing bilateral oil trade as mutually beneficial rather than a political liability. In defending the continuation of these ties, Moscow implied that external pressure from Washington, including tariff threats tied to Russia’s war with Ukraine, does not alter the fundamentals of energy trade between sovereign states.
The backdrop to the Kremlin’s comments includes conflicting narratives from New Delhi itself, which has neither confirmed Trump’s claim about a direct commitment from Prime Minister Modi nor signaled an abrupt end to Russian oil purchases. India has stated that its energy imports are guided by considerations of stable supply and consumer interest, a stance that Moscow’s response appears to implicitly support by rejecting pressure aimed at reshaping the global energy market.