India will steadfastly continue its oil purchases from Russia, undeterred by U.S. President Donald Trump’s ominous threats of sanctions, as revealed by two informed Indian government sources who chose to remain anonymous due to the delicate nature of the subject.
“These agreements are enduring commitments,” one of the sources elaborated. “Halting acquisitions abruptly isn’t feasible.”
Last month, in a Truth Social statement, Trump hinted that India could incur further penalties for its consumption of Russian arms and crude. On Friday, Trump mentioned to the press that he had been informed India would cease its procurement of Russian oil.
The New York Times, on Saturday, cited two anonymous high-ranking Indian officials suggesting no shift in India’s official stance, with one noting that the authorities had “not instructed oil companies” to reduce Russian imports.
Earlier this week, Reuters conveyed that Indian state-owned refineries had paused Russian oil purchases the previous week, prompted by diminishing discounts since July.
Discussing India’s energy sourcing strategy, Randhir Jaiswal, the foreign ministry spokesperson, underlined in a Friday media briefing that decisions are based on available market options, offerings, and the broader global context.
The White House in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indian refiners are pulling back from Russian crude as discounts shrink to their lowest since 2022, when Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow, due to lower Russian exports and steady demand, sources said earlier this week.
The country’s state refiners – Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd – have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners’ purchase plans told Reuters.