India has “committed” to stop buying Russian oil, and already taken “significant steps” towards it, said U.S. President Donald Trump, rescinding the 25% punitive tariffs imposed on India in August 2025. Mr. Trump also said the tariffs would return if India “resumes” oil imports from Russia, and that India would buy U.S. energy, which former Indian diplomats criticised, calling it “plain bullying” by a “hegemonic America”. In a separate order, Mr. Trump said that any country engaging in trade with Iran will draw penalty tariffs, formalising a threat he had made in January on social media. “Trump is toughening the U.S. position because he did not get satisfaction on [ensuring India stops buying Russian oil]... As The Hindu reported on Saturday (February 7, 2026) however, India’s crude oil imports from Russia have in fact dropped sharply, to a 38-month low in December 2025, and now make up only a quarter of India’s oil imports compared to a high of 40% in 2024.

Source: The Hindu February 07, 2026 14:38 UTC