British News Agency

Trump told reporters that he received assurances from Modi that India would halt its purchases “within a short period of time,” calling it a “major stop.”

A spokesperson for the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., declined to comment. The US President tried to leverage India’s Russian oil imports in the trade conflict, but Delhi resisted, creating a diplomatic dispute.

Oil and gas are Russia’s top exports, with China, India, and Turkey among its largest customers.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said that as part of his administration’s broader efforts to cut off Moscow’s energy financing, “Now I must make sure China does the same.”

The Trump administration is also pressuring Japan to stop importing oil and gas from Russia, and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that he conveyed this “expectation” to Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato.

Trump noted that India cannot stop oil shipments “immediately,” adding that the transition “will be a somewhat longer process, but it will end soon.”

The Trump administration is imposing a 50% tariff on goods imported from India. Trump described these tariffs as a penalty for Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil and weapons.

The tariffs, which took effect in August and are among the highest in the world, include a 25% penalty on transactions with Russia — a key source of funding for its war in Ukraine.

Modi has maintained for months that despite India’s ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the country remains neutral in the Russia–Ukraine war.