No clarity yet: Kremlin on India halting Russian oil imports after US deal

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is closely examining US President Donald Trump's comments on ties with India and, as of now, has not received any statements from New Delhi

A day after the United States (US) President Donald Trump said that India has stopped importing Russian oil, the Kremlin said it has not received any communication from New Delhi on the matter.

 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia is closely examining Trump's comments on ties with India. When asked if India had chosen to halt purchases of Russian oil, Peskov replied: "So far, we have not heard any statements from Delhi on this issue".

 

He added that Russia respects the bilateral relationship between India and the US, "but we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India".

 

"This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi," he added.

 

On Monday, Trump announced a trade deal with India, reducing tariffs on Indian goods from 50 per cent to 18 per cent in return for India stopping Russian oil imports and reducing trade barriers.

 

"It was an honour to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and a powerful and respected leader of his country. We spoke about many things, including trade, and ending the war with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

 

While the Indian government has confirmed the deal, it has not yet provided details, including any restrictions on Russian oil imports mentioned by Trump. Meanwhile, since the implementation of the tariff in August 2025, many Indian refineries are already making efforts to diversify their oil sources.