Trump Claims India Will Cut Russian Oil Imports To ‘Almost Nothing’ By Year-End, Says PM Assured Him

<p>U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated that India has agreed to gradually phase out its imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, a statement that New Delhi has yet to confirm. The claim comes on the heels of Washington&rsquo;s sweeping new sanctions against Russia&rsquo;s two biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, aimed at tightening pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine.</p>
<h3>’India Has Been Great’: Donald Trump</h3>
<p>Speaking at the White House during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump said he had discussed the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He asserted that India told them that they would stop and it was a process. “By the end of the year, they will be down to almost nothing&mdash;and that&rsquo;s a big thing,&rdquo; he remarked, as per a report on NDTV. Trump praised Modi&rsquo;s leadership, saying India had been &ldquo;absolutely great,&rdquo; while acknowledging that the transition would need to be gradual to avoid jolting global energy markets.</p>
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<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#WATCH</a> | Washington DC | Regarding his upcoming meetign with Chinese President Xi, US President Donald Trump says, “India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop…it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to&hellip; <a href=”https://t.co/XXdL1ETOZf”>pic.twitter.com/XXdL1ETOZf</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href=”https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1981125225178943583?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>The comments followed days of mounting anticipation over additional US action against Russia. The administration&rsquo;s sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday, came shortly after the cancellation of a planned Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, which Washington scrapped over stalled ceasefire talks.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Modi, meanwhile, acknowledged Trump&rsquo;s Diwali greetings in a social media post, expressing optimism that the &ldquo;two great democracies&rdquo; would continue to lead with &ldquo;faith and progress.&rdquo; However, he did not mention Russian oil imports or confirm any recent conversation with Trump.</p>
<p>Trump has long criticised India&rsquo;s continued energy partnership with Russia, arguing that such purchases undermine global sanctions. Earlier this year, he imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods, warning that the penalties would remain until New Delhi halted Russian oil imports.</p>
<p>Asked about India&rsquo;s denial while speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump sidestepped the question but reiterated his belief that India was &ldquo;fully committed&rdquo; to reducing its reliance on Russian crude.</p>