India cut import of Russian oil to please me for trade: Trump
Kwatra wanted tariff relieved: Senator
The US on Sunday claimed that India had cut back on its purchase of Russian oil following tariff pressure from Washington, with President Donald Trump saying New Delhi acted to keep trade relations with the US on track and to avoid his displeasure.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump backed remarks made by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who argued that the threat of tariffs had proved an effective tool in pushing countries to reduce their economic engagement with Russia amid the Ukraine war.
Trump said the measures were hurting Russia “very, very much”. Referring to India’s response, he said New Delhi was keen to ensure smooth trade ties with Washington.
“They wanted to make me happy, basically,” Trump said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “a good man” who understood that Trump was unhappy with India’s oil purchases from Russia. “It was important to make me happy to do trade,” the US President said, warning that tariffs could be raised “very quickly”, which would be “very bad for them”.
However, the US claims appear at odds with recent import data. Russian news agency Sputnik reported that India imported nearly 1.14 million barrels per day (mbd) of Russian oil in December, retaining Russia’s position as the largest crude supplier to India.
“Russian crude imports to India averaged 1.84 mbd in November, a six-month high. India’s Russian oil imports are expected to recover from January onwards,” the report said, citing projections by Kpler, a real-time global trade intelligence firm.
Graham said the US had imposed sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies and slapped a 25 per cent tariff on India over its purchase of Russian crude, describing the measures as the biggest pressure exerted on Moscow since the conflict began. “If you want to end this conflict and put pressure on Putin’s customers, this is how you do it,” Graham said.
According to Graham, the US President’s tariff decision was “the chief reason India is buying substantially less Russian oil”.
India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since western sanctions were imposed on Moscow in 2022, taking advantage of discounted prices while maintaining that its energy imports are driven by national interest and global market conditions.
New Delhi has consistently rejected linking its oil purchases to geopolitical considerations.
Kwatra wanted tariff relieved: Senator
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, “I met Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra and all he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil and whether Trump could relieve the tariff.”
