The Trump administration’s decision to ease sanctions on Russian oil sales to India in order to address potential supply issues has raised questions about Washington’s resolve on the issue. However, in a major policy shift, the US announced on Thursday (March 5) a 30-day waiver to allow Indian refiners to buy Russian oil again. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India was not a significant buyer of Russian oil. However, it ramped up purchases when Russian oil became much cheaper on international markets than the alternatives. The sanctions have meant an ever widening discount on Russian oil on global markets for the countries that do purchase it.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 07, 2026 14:32 UTC