India will keep purchasing Russian crude oil even after Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian firms, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in an interview with News18, cited by Bloomberg on September 5.
“Where we buy our oil from, especially such a large commodity for which we pay the most in imports, we have to decide based on what is most beneficial for us. We will certainly continue to buy,” Sitharaman said.
According to Bloomberg, her comments underscore New Delhi’s determination to prioritize economic interests over geopolitical pressure. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged India to halt such purchases, and his administration recently raised tariffs on India to 50%—one of the highest levels in the world.
Russia now accounts for around 40% of India’s oil needs, up from less than 1% before the war in Ukraine. Discounted Russian barrels, shunned by Western buyers, have enabled India to cut import costs while indirectly financing Moscow’s war effort. China and Türkiye remain other key buyers.
The move has drawn sharp criticism in Washington. Trump accused India and Russia of deepening ties with Beijing despite mounting international pressure.
“Looks like we lost India and Russia, which have moved into the deep, dark, and mysterious Chinese empire,” he wrote.
Bloomberg highlights that at the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping this week at a Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, where they discussed cooperation in energy and security. According to diplomatic sources, the three leaders signaled plans to expand coordination in strategic sectors.
Previously, it was reported that US President Donald Trump has urged Europe to cut off purchases of Russian oil and to step up economic pressure on China, arguing that both steps are critical to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a White House official familiar with the talks.
