Russia has responded to a claim by U.S. President Donald Trump that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil under a trade understanding. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said India remains free to buy oil from any country it chooses, and this is not new or unusual. He explained that India has always bought oil and petroleum products from many different suppliers, not just Russia.
Peskov also said that Russia has not received any official message from India saying it will stop buying Russian crude. He stressed that diversity of oil suppliers has been part of India’s policy for a long time, and there is no confirmed agreement to halt Russian oil purchases.
Experts note that Indian refiners cannot fully replace Russian crude easily, and switching completely to U.S. oil would be difficult.
This statement makes clear that Trump’s claim about India stopping Russian oil imports has not been confirmed by Russia or India.
