Russia counts on India to keep oil imports steady despite US tariff threats and Trump’s criticism: Report
New Delhi: Russia expects India to continue purchasing its crude despite pressure from Washington, a senior official said on Wednesday, as New Delhi braces for higher US tariffs and sharp criticism from the Trump administration, according to a Bloomberg report.
“India’s imports of Russian crude are likely to stay at current levels,” Evgeny Griva, deputy trade representative of Russia in India, told reporters in New Delhi, the report said.
His remarks come as tariff tensions escalate between Washington and New Delhi.
US President Donald Trump has already imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods and warned it could double to 50% on August 27 — a level that would render India’s $85 billion in annual exports to America uncompetitive.
According to Washington, half of that penalty is linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil, which the US argues are financing President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
India has defended its imports, saying it has the right to buy from the cheapest source and dismissing the new duties as “unreasonable.”
Russia currently sells crude to India at roughly a 5% discount, leaving Asia’s third-largest economy with limited alternatives, Griva said. He also forecast bilateral trade growth of about 10% annually.
For India, Russian oil offers a critical advantage: it helps lower import costs, which in turn assists in keeping domestic inflation under control.
New Delhi has also drifted further from Washington amid tariff pressures. Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week praised Putin as a “friend” after a call with the Russian leader, and India has moved to deepen ties with China. Modi is scheduled to visit Beijing later this month — his first in seven years — for talks with President Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in Moscow for three days to co-chair discussions on trade, science and other areas of cooperation.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday reinforced Washington’s threat to hike duties on Indian imports, calling them “secondary tariffs for buying the sanctioned Russian oil.” He accused New Delhi of “profiteering” and claimed “some of the richest families in India” were reaping the benefits.
India, which once relied mostly on the Middle East for its oil, began sourcing significantly more from Russia in 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Group of Seven’s $60-a-barrel price cap designed to cut Moscow’s revenues while keeping supplies steady.
As of mid-2025, India’s imports from Russia stood at about 1.7 million barrels a day, nearly 37% of total overseas purchases.
Following a brief pause earlier this month, state-run refiners have resumed buying Russian crude, Bloomberg News reported.
The US remains India’s largest trading partner, with Russia in fourth place.
Roman Babushkin, a senior Russian diplomat in New Delhi, said Moscow is willing to absorb more of India’s tariff-hit goods and assist in developing domestic jet engine manufacturing.
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