Russia has reaffirmed that India is free to purchase crude oil from any country, responding to recent comments by former US President Donald Trump that suggested New Delhi may stop importing Russian oil under a broader trade understanding with Washington.
Addressing the remarks, the Kremlin said India’s energy decisions are sovereign and based on its own national interests. Russian officials stressed that Moscow does not interpret India’s diversified oil sourcing as a hostile move. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that India has never relied on a single supplier and has always maintained a multi-country import strategy to meet its vast energy demands.
Trump’s statement came during discussions linked to an India-US trade framework, where he claimed India would reduce or halt Russian oil purchases while boosting imports from the United States and possibly Venezuela. However, Moscow dismissed the assertion, saying it had received no formal indication from Indian authorities about any such shift in policy.
Reiterating Russia’s stance, Peskov said it is natural for a major energy consumer like India to explore multiple supply options in a competitive global market. He added that Russia respects India’s need to secure reliable and affordable fuel supplies to power its economy and support its population.
India, currently the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, has sharply increased purchases of discounted Russian oil since 2022, when Western sanctions on Moscow reshaped global energy trade routes. Despite this surge, India continues to import crude from the Middle East, Africa, and the United States, reflecting its long-standing diversification approach.
Indian government sources have also responded cautiously to Trump’s claim, reiterating that energy security remains the country’s top priority. Officials have consistently maintained that oil import decisions are driven by pricing, availability, and national interest — not geopolitical pressure.
Energy analysts point out that replacing Russian crude entirely in the near term would be difficult. Discounted pricing and refinery configurations suited to certain Russian grades make an abrupt transition impractical. As a result, any diversification away from Russian supplies would likely be gradual rather than immediate.
Russia, meanwhile, signaled that its energy partnership with India remains stable and strategically important. Moscow continues to regard New Delhi as a key partner in the global energy landscape, with cooperation extending beyond oil into broader economic and geopolitical engagement.
The episode underscores the complex intersection of geopolitics, trade negotiations, and energy security. As global powers compete for influence in energy markets, India appears committed to maintaining strategic autonomy — balancing diplomatic ties while ensuring uninterrupted and cost-effective fuel supplies for its growing economy.
