India will not stop importing Russian oil
India will continue to buy Russian oil despite the threat of sanctions from U.S. President Donald Trump. This was reported by Indian officials who refused to change their policy, as noted by The New York Times.
However, the publication states that on Saturday, two high-ranking Indian officials said that there are no changes in the country’s policy. Moreover, according to one of them, the government did not give oil companies any instructions to reduce purchases from Russia.
India’s Foreign Ministry representative Randhir Jaiswal, refusing to comment on Trump’s statement, emphasized that the partnership with Russia will remain unchanged. India will continue to purchase Russian oil, considering its bilateral relations with other countries as a value independent of other states.
Development of Russian oil imports to India
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, India has significantly increased its purchases of Russian oil, becoming the second-largest importer after China. The West’s position regarding India’s oil purchases from Russia has pointed to the stabilization of global oil prices. U.S. Treasury officials have acknowledged that India supports the global market, keeping Russia's revenues under control and complying with established rules.
Thus, despite U.S. pressure, India was not going to stop expanding cooperation with Russia. Trump can express his views, but this does not affect the Indian government’s decision to continue importing Russian oil.
Ukraine is always closely monitoring the situation regarding the import of Russian oil to India, as this could affect geopolitical ties and the dynamics of the global oil market in general.