Trump warns India of 'massive' tariffs if Russian oil imports continue
US President Donald Trump has renewed his warning to India, saying that Washington will maintain 'massive' tariffs on Indian goods until New Delhi completely halts its imports of Russian oil.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday (October 19), Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him 'India will stop buying Russian oil.' The president added that the tariffs—some as high as 50%—would remain in place if India failed to follow through on that commitment.
'I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,' Trump said. 'If they want to deny that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.'
However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs disputed Trump’s remarks, saying it had “no information” about any recent phone conversation between the two leaders. Officials reiterated that New Delhi’s primary concern is ensuring energy security and protecting Indian consumers from global price volatility.
The US administration has long criticized India’s continued purchases of discounted Russian crude, arguing that oil revenues are helping to fund Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Since Western sanctions took effect following Russia’s 2022 invasion, India has emerged as the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil—taking advantage of steep discounts offered by Moscow.
White House officials said on Thursday that India has reduced its Russian oil imports by about half since the start of the year. But Indian energy sources told local media that no substantial cut has yet materialized, as refiners have already locked in contracts for November and December deliveries. Any noticeable decline, they added, might only appear in early 2026 import figures.
According to data from commodities analytics firm Kpler, India’s Russian oil imports are expected to climb around 20% in October to roughly 1.9 million barrels per day, as Moscow boosts exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on several of its refineries.
The standoff over Russian oil purchases has become a central sticking point in ongoing US-India trade negotiations. Analysts say the dispute could delay Washington’s plans to deepen economic and defense cooperation with New Delhi, despite both nations’ shared interest in counterbalancing China’s regional influence.
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