【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】U.S. President Trump told reporters at the White House on the 15th that Indian Prime Minister Modi had assured him by phone that India would no longer purchase Russian oil, "this is a very important step."

On the 16th, the Russian side responded by saying that it was confident its energy cooperation with India would continue. The spokesperson for the Russian President, Kremlin representative Peskov stated that Russia mainly relied on official statements from India in matters of energy procurement and would assess the situation accordingly.

On the same day, Randeep Suri, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that India's import policy was entirely guided by national interests. AFP interpreted this as India neither confirming nor denying any change in its policy on purchasing Russian oil.

Later on the evening of the 16th, Suri made another response during his weekly briefing, denying that there had been a call between the two heads of state, "I am not aware of any conversation between PM Modi and President Trump yesterday."

At local time on October 16, Randeep Suri, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hosted a press conference. Video screenshot

According to a report by Russian News Agency on the 16th, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said regarding this matter, "We will continue to cooperate with our friendly partners. Our energy resources have market demand, are economically beneficial and practical. I believe our partners will continue to cooperate with us, interact and develop energy cooperation."

When asked whether Russia had received information from partner countries after the U.S. claimed that India would not buy Russian oil, Novak replied that according to these countries' statements, "nobody can tell them what to do; they will choose their own path independently."

Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov also expressed a similar view, stating that the overall bilateral trade relationship between Russia and India was on an upward trend. Regarding whether India would continue to purchase Russian crude oil, he pointed out that this was a question for the Indian government to answer, and that the Indian government's primary consideration in handling the issue was national interests, "our cooperation in the energy sector is highly aligned with these interests."

The spokesperson for the Russian President, Kremlin representative Peskov, responded through RIA Novosti on the 16th, stating that Russia mainly referred to official statements from India in energy procurement issues, "these statements are public, and we judge the situation based on these statements."

On the 15th, Trump told reporters at an event at the White House that Modi had assured him in a phone call earlier that day, "India will no longer purchase Russian oil, which is a very important step." However, Trump added that India could not "immediately" stop importing Russian oil, "it will take a process, but this process will soon be over."

According to a report by NDTV on the 16th, India's response to Trump's remarks was that the consistent priority of its energy policy was to ensure the interests of Indian consumers.

Randeep Suri, a spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a statement, "India is an important importer of oil and natural gas, and under the circumstances of fluctuating energy markets, we always prioritize the interests of consumers. Ensuring stable energy prices and supply security has always been our dual goal, which includes widely procuring energy and moderately diversifying according to market conditions."

However, the statement also mentioned that India has long sought to expand energy cooperation with the United States, and progress in this area has been steadily made over the past decade. Currently, discussions on energy cooperation are taking place under the support of the Trump administration.

Since September 2023, India's imports of Russian oil have remained stable. Bloomberg map

Bloomberg noted that as of the 16th, about 60 million barrels of Russian crude oil were being transported to India, with about half going to the Sikka port used by Reliance Industries. According to ship tracking data and port agent reports, tankers sanctioned by the EU and the UK unloaded crude oil from the Russian Far East at the port on the 16th.

Indian traders said that there had been no large-scale rush to purchase non-Russian crude oil at refineries recently. Russian crude oil accounts for nearly one-third of India's imports and is usually several dollars cheaper per barrel than crude oil from the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, making it an attractive option.

According to estimates by the energy analysis company Kpler, the daily flow of Russian crude oil to India in October was approximately 1.7 million barrels, up about 6% from September, but slightly below the level of the same period last year.

NDTV reported that since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Western countries, especially the United States, have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with India continuing to purchase Russian oil. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly explained its position on this issue, emphasizing that India is only seeking the best deals for its people, while also pointing out the double standards of the West, stating that the West needs to move away from the mindset that "the problems of Europe are the problems of the world, but the problems of the world are not necessarily the problems of Europe."

Public data shows that Russia has become India's main oil supplier, accounting for about 35% of India's total supply; before the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, this proportion was less than 1%. This quickly drew the attention of Trump, who failed to mediate the conflict, and then pressured India to stop buying Russian oil.

In August this year, Trump announced additional 25% "punitive" tariffs on Indian goods, raising the total tariff level to 50%, citing this as a reason. Recently, the U.S. has also tried to get G7 and EU countries to ask allies to impose taxes on India.

Currently, U.S.-India trade negotiations are still ongoing. Last month, a delegation led by Brendan Lynch, the U.S. Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, met with an Indian delegation led by Rajesh Agrawal, the Chief Negotiator of India, in New Delhi.

American Bloomberg reported that India is reducing its trade surplus with the U.S. by purchasing more American goods, improving market access in India, and lowering trade barriers. For example, India is considering purchasing defense equipment and major commodities such as oil worth about $40 billion from the U.S.

Agrawal said at the time that India has the capacity to increase its purchases from the U.S. by $15 billion in oil, "according to data from the 2025 fiscal year, we currently purchase oil from the U.S. averaging $12 to $13 billion. Based on current refinery configurations, there is a purchase space of $14 to $15 billion." However, he did not mention whether India would stop purchasing Russian oil.

India's apparent concessions to the U.S. on trade negotiations and purchasing Russian oil have drawn criticism from domestic opposition parties. Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the main opposition party, the Congress Party, posted on social media, "Modi is afraid of Trump. First, allowing Trump to decide and announce that India will not purchase Russian oil; second, repeatedly sending greetings despite being ignored; third, canceling the finance minister's visit to the U.S.; fourth, missing the Sharm El-Sheikh summit; fifth, not standing against him on the 'Sindhu Action.'"

On October 16, during a regular press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an AFP reporter asked, "U.S. President Trump said yesterday that he had received an assurance from Indian Prime Minister Modi that India would stop purchasing oil from Russia. Trump said it is now time for China to take the same action. Is China's purchase of Russian oil part of the ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations? What is China's position on this?"

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian responded on the 16th, saying that China has repeatedly stated its position on this issue, and that normal economic and trade energy cooperation between China and countries including Russia is legitimate and proper. The U.S. approach is a typical case of unilateral bullying and economic coercion, seriously undermining international trade and economic rules, threatening the safety and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Lin Jian emphasized that China has always maintained an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine crisis, which is evident to all. "We firmly oppose the U.S. frequently bringing up China, and we firmly oppose the illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction imposed on China. If China's legitimate rights and interests are damaged, China will certainly resolutely counteract and firmly safeguard its sovereignty, development, and security interests."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Net, and may not be reprinted without permission.

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