US President Donald Trump announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has agreed to stop purchasing Russian oil, as Washington intensifies efforts to economically isolate Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump told reporters he had received assurances from Modi that India would end its Russian oil imports “within a short period of time,” describing it as “a big stop.”
The United States has been pressuring India to scale back its energy ties with Russia, using trade tariffs and diplomatic outreach as leverage. However, New Delhi has maintained that its import decisions are driven solely by national interests and the need to protect Indian consumers in a volatile global energy market. An Indian government spokesperson said that discussions with Washington were “ongoing,” adding that the US had “shown interest in deepening energy co-operation with India.”
Oil and gas remain Russia’s most significant exports, with key buyers including China, India, and Turkey. Trump stated that his administration’s next goal was to persuade China to take similar action. The White House is also urging Japan to curtail Russian energy imports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent conveyed this “expectation” during talks with Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato in Washington.
Trump acknowledged that India could not halt imports immediately, calling the transition “a process” but one that “will be over with soon.” Meanwhile, his administration has imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods—among the highest globally—as what Trump termed “punishment” for India’s purchases of Russian oil and weapons. The measures include a 25% penalty for transactions with Moscow that allegedly help fund the Kremlin’s war effort.
Despite mounting pressure, Modi has continued to assert India’s neutral stance in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, emphasizing long-standing strategic ties with Moscow. Indian officials have criticized the US position as hypocritical, pointing out that both the US and several European nations still conduct business with Russia.
The dispute has strained the previously warm ties between Trump and Modi, though Trump still described the Indian Prime Minister as a “great man.” Modi recently said that his conversation with Trump reflected “good progress” in trade discussions, signaling that both sides may yet find common ground despite growing friction.