President Trump has recently targeted India over its purchases of Russian oil and imposed tariffs on Indian exports to the United States.
Published October 15, 2025
US President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to stop buying oil from Russia, and as the US ramps up efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy revenues, Trump said he would next try to get China to do the same.
India and China are Russia’s top two seaborne oil exporters, with European buyers holding back on purchases and taking advantage of discounted prices Russia was forced to accept after the United States and European Union imposed sanctions on Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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President Trump has recently targeted India for its purchases of Russian oil, imposing tariffs on India’s exports to the United States to stop Russia’s oil purchases, in an effort to cut off Russian oil revenues and pressure the Kremlin to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine.
“I’m not happy that India is buying oil. India has committed today to not buying oil from Russia,” Trump told reporters at a White House event.
“This is a big step. Now we’re going to get China to do the same.”
The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Prime Minister Modi had made such a promise to President Trump.
Russia is India’s largest oil supplier. Russia exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, about a third of the country’s oil imports. Indian officials defended the purchase as essential to national energy security, and Mr. Modi resisted U.S. pressure for months.
India’s move to suspend imports signals a major shift by one of Moscow’s biggest energy customers and could reshape the calculus for other countries that still import Russian crude. President Trump wants to leverage bilateral relationships to increase economic isolation against Russia, rather than relying solely on multilateral sanctions.
In comments to reporters, President Trump added that India cannot stop shipments “immediately” and said, “It’s a bit of a process, but that process will be over soon.”
Despite the pressure on India, President Trump has largely avoided applying similar pressure on China. The U.S. trade war with China has complicated diplomatic efforts, and President Trump has been reluctant to risk further escalation by demanding an end to China’s energy imports from Russia.
