India has decided to continue importing oil from Russia despite warnings of sanctions from former U.S. President Donald Trump. Two Indian government officials confirmed the decision, saying these oil deals are part of long-term contracts that cannot be abruptly canceled. One official mentioned that stopping purchases suddenly is not as simple as it sounds due to the nature of these agreements.
Recently, Trump hinted on his social media platform that India might face more sanctions if it continued to buy oil and weapons from Russia. On Friday, he even claimed that India had stopped importing Russian oil. However, senior Indian officials clarified that the government has not issued any orders to oil companies to reduce imports, and there is no shift in the current policy.
Nevertheless, some reports noted that Indian state-run refineries temporarily paused Russian oil purchases last week due to shrinking discounts in July. According to officials familiar with the matter, companies like Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum, and others did not place any new orders for Russian crude in that period. These decisions were purely driven by market conditions, not political pressure.
Speaking at a recent briefing, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson stated that India makes energy decisions based on market opportunities and global circumstances. He emphasized that India values its tested partnership with Russia but also maintains strong relations with other countries, which should not be judged in the context of third-party influence.
Despite temporary reductions, Russia remains India’s top oil supplier, providing around 35% of the country’s total imports. It is followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. From January to June 2025, India imported an average of 1.75 million barrels of oil per day from Russia, slightly higher than the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Nayara Energy, a key buyer of Russian oil in India, is now facing European Union sanctions due to its ownership links with Russian firms like Rosneft. After the sanctions were announced, Nayara’s CEO resigned and was replaced by senior executive Sergey Denisov. The company’s three oil tankers remain unable to offload their cargo due to the new restrictions.