India Not Halting Russian Oil Imports Abruptly, Despite Trump's Claims

Explainers
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Firstpost•04-02-2026, 10:28
India Not Halting Russian Oil Imports Abruptly, Despite Trump's Claims
- •Donald Trump claimed a US-India trade deal includes India ending Russian oil purchases and lowering tariffs on Indian exports.
- •Indian government and PM Modi have not publicly confirmed an agreement to immediately halt Russian oil imports.
- •Indian refiners state they have received no instructions to cease Russian crude purchases; existing contracts are in place until March 2026.
- •India became the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude after the Ukraine war due to discounted prices, but imports have recently declined.
- •An abrupt halt is unrealistic due to existing contracts, refinery constraints, and Indian investments in Russia's energy sector.
Why It Matters: India is gradually recalibrating Russian oil imports, not abruptly halting them, despite Trump's assertions.
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