New Delhi: India has not up to now dedicated to stopping oil imports from Russia, and that silence has now moved to the centre of a diplomatic and financial debate. The query got here up after President Donald Trump introduced that India and the US had signed a commerce deal, beneath which New Delhi would cut back Russian oil imports and purchase extra American power. The declare induced political debate, raised coverage questions and put India’s power safety within the international highlight.
Final yr, Washington imposed a further 25 p.c tariff on India over its continued buy of Russian crude. At the moment, India’s Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar instructed Sputnik that the American tariff was unfair, impractical and misguided. He mentioned India’s coverage put nationwide curiosity first and that oil commerce adopted business logic, with Indian corporations selecting probably the most appropriate offers obtainable available in the market.
Stress from Western nations has been seen since Russia launched its navy assault on Ukraine. India’s oil imports turned some extent of repeated criticism. Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confronted this query on a number of international platforms over the previous three years. He maintained one constant line. India would resolve its personal power safety plan, and no exterior energy would dictate that call.
A recent layer of discomfort emerged after the India-US commerce settlement signed on February 2 that was described as historic by each side. He wrote that India had agreed to cease shopping for oil from Russia.
Trump’s claims triggered questions in India. Commerce and Business Minister Piyush Goyal confronted the primary spherical throughout a press convention. He declined to remark and mentioned the Ministry of Exterior Affairs would reply. Two days earlier, when journalists requested Jaishankar concerning the particulars of the commerce deal, he directed queries towards the commerce ministry. The responses confirmed institutional warning quite than readability.
Overseas Secretary Vikram Misri addressed the problem throughout a Monday media briefing, emphasising that India doesn’t depend on a single power supply and has no intention of doing so sooner or later. He reminded journalists that India is a significant importer of oil and fuel and described the nation as a growing financial system that should keep alert to useful resource availability. Dependence on imported power stands close to 80 to 85 p.c, a degree that naturally raises considerations about inflation.
In response to him, the nation’s precedence is to guard shoppers by making certain entry to enough power at affordable costs via dependable provide chains. The nation’s import coverage is guided by these targets and influenced by international financial uncertainties in recent times. A number of provide choices are maintained, with the combo of suppliers adjusting to market circumstances. Diversification, he mentioned, strengthens power safety, whereas precise sourcing selections relaxation with private and non-private oil corporations that act on market assessments.
On the identical time, Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov mentioned that India has not communicated any choice to cease buying oil from Moscow. His assertion added one other angle to the growing story.
Strategic analysts started inspecting India’s silence, deciphering it as a type of diplomatic balancing. They mentioned that any open admission of a dedication to halt Russian imports might be seen as yielding to US stress, with political critics seemingly describing it as strategic submission.
They noticed that official responses are measured and emphasised provider diversification with out specifying any specific shifts. India has already began lowering its Russian oil consumption, a transfer linked to American stress dynamics.
Geopolitical analyst Zorawar Daulat Singh wrote that India risked inserting power safety and strategic autonomy beneath pressure inside the commerce dispute deal. He referenced a February 6 White Home order and mentioned the order enabled the US to observe India’s Russian oil imports. He warned of potential financial stress if purchases continued.
Strategic affairs skilled Brahma Chellaney additionally cited the manager order, stating that the US commerce secretary has been tasked with monitoring India’s oil imports. Tariff penalties might be reinstated if purchases from Russia resume, even not directly, he warned.
He highlighted that refined fuels exported from India may face sanctions if produced from Russian crude. He added that changing discounted Russian Urals crude with higher-priced American oil may enhance India’s annual import invoice by roughly $4 billion resulting from greater transportation prices.
A special perspective got here from Wall Road Journal columnist Sadanand Dhume, who argued that the Indian authorities needn’t seem hesitant. Describing the choice as pragmatic, he prompt that New Delhi may brazenly acknowledge that lowering Russian oil purchases helped take away punitive tariffs.
He added that India has various suppliers and identified that heavy US tariffs would have harmed exports and funding.
General, Dhume characterised the commerce settlement as a vital diplomatic and financial achievement.
Others pointed to declining Russian imports. Citing official commerce information, they mentioned imports from Russia fell 27.7 p.c year-on-year in October 2025. It dropped from $6.7 billion in October 2024 to $4.8 billion a yr later.
The February 6 White Home govt order formalised monitoring provisions. Part 4 outlined coordination among the many US commerce secretary, secretary of state, treasury secretary and senior officers. The mandate focussed on monitoring whether or not India resumed Russian oil imports instantly or not directly. The order said that if such exercise was detected, the commerce secretary may advocate motion. The secretary of state would seek the advice of officers and advise the president on potential steps, together with reimposing the 25 p.c tariff on Indian items.
New Delhi has not issued a proper response to the order. Coverage consultants say a whole halt of Russian imports inside a brief timeline is troublesome. Current contracts bind provide commitments. One main refinery, Nayara Power, sources crude via Russia’s Rosneft. Different provide preparations require time.
Opposition leaders in India have criticised the US circumstances. They are saying commerce clauses tied to power sourcing problem India’s impartial overseas coverage. They are saying such provisions place stress on sovereign decision-making and warn that related calls for may emerge in future partnerships.