India Pledges to Halt Russian Oil Imports, Says Donald Trump

 International Desk | PNN

U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia — a move Trump says will help cut off a major source of revenue for Moscow.

In his speech, Trump said, “Today, Modi told me that they will no longer buy oil from Russia. This is a significant step.” He added that his next goal is to persuade China to take a similar decision in order to further increase economic pressure on Russia.

India and China are currently the two largest buyers of Russian oil. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States and Europe imposed heavy sanctions on Moscow, after which India and China began purchasing discounted Russian crude oil.

Analysts say that if India actually halts oil imports from Russia, it would be a major blow to the Russian economy. India is currently the largest importer of Russian oil, with imports reaching around 1.6 million barrels per day in September, accounting for one-third of India’s total oil imports.

Meanwhile, no official comment has yet been issued by the Indian government, but Trump’s statement has raised significant questions in international politics.

Given Russia’s dominant role in the global oil market, if India implements this decision, it could mark a major shift in the dynamics of international economic pressure against Moscow.