The remarks came amid assertions from the United States that India would stop buying Russian crude, a claim Moscow dismissed outright during a weekly media briefing. ADVERTISEMENT“We have no reason to believe that India has changed its position on buying Russian hydrocarbons. While announcing the trade deal with New Delhi early in February, Trump had also claimed India had agreed to not procure crude oil from Russia. India has not yet confirmed or denied Washington's claim that it has committed to stopping the procurement of Russian crude oil. Earlier too, Russia had accused the US of attempting to prevent India and other countries from buying Russian oil, saying Washington was using a wide range of “coercive” measures, including tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions.

Source: The Telegraph February 18, 2026 17:24 UTC