India is refusing to change its oil import policy from Russia, despite recent threats from President Donald Trump. According to The New York Times, Indian officials have confirmed New Delhi's position after Trump warned them against cooperating with Moscow in the energy sector.
On August 1, Trump stated that, in his opinion, India had stopped buying Russian oil.
“I understand that India will no longer buy oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if it's true or not. It's a good move. We will see what happens next,” — Trump noted.However, the next day Indian officials stated that they had received no instructions to reduce imports from Russia.
India's resistance to U.S. demands
Despite Trump's statements, he did not specify potential consequences for India in case of ignoring American demands. Analysts believe this could be a tactical move in the trade relations between the two countries. So far, China and Turkey, which also import Russian oil, have not become targets of public warnings from Trump.
India has significantly increased its purchases of Russian oil after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While previously, before 2022, Moscow supplied less than 1% of oil to India, now this share exceeds a third. India is the second-largest consumer of Russian oil after China, importing more than 2 million barrels daily.
The conflict of interest between the U.S. and Russia, in which India is involved, may have serious consequences for the global energy market in the future. The country's decision to continue importing oil from Russia will affect not only trade relations but also the geopolitical situation in the region.