Trump Warns of ‘Massive Tariffs’ Again Over India’s Russian Oil Purchases

Trump renews threat of ‘massive tariffs’ over India’s Russian oil imports.

US President Donald Trump has once again warned that India could face “massive” tariffs if it continues importing oil from Russia, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him that New Delhi would halt such purchases.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “PM Modi told me, ‘I’m not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.’ But if they keep doing it, they’ll be paying massive tariffs.” When asked about India’s response that no recent conversation had taken place between the two leaders, Trump replied, “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs — and they don’t want to do that.”

This follows Trump’s statement in the Oval Office on Wednesday, where he described Modi’s alleged assurance as “a big step” toward ending India’s Russian oil trade. He added that the transition would not be immediate but would occur “within a short period of time” as part of “a little bit of a process.” During a bilateral lunch with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump reiterated, “Well, India is not going to be buying Russian oil anymore.”

India clarifies no such phone call took place

Hours after Trump’s remarks, India clarified that there had been no recent conversation between Prime Minister Modi and the US President. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized that India’s oil imports are guided by market realities and consumer interests.

“Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” Jaiswal said, highlighting that India continues to focus on energy security while navigating a volatile global market.