Trump called Modi a “good friend” and said the two have a “great relationship.” However, he emphasized that he is not satisfied that New Delhi continues to buy oil from Moscow and thus finance the war that the Russian Federation is waging in Ukraine.
“This allows Russia to continue this senseless war in which they have lost a million and a half people – mostly soldiers. This is a war that should never have started, but it is also a war that Russia should have won in the first week. And now it's the fourth year and I want it to stop. I didn't like that India was buying oil, but today he [Моди] assured me that they will no longer buy oil from Russia,” Trump said.
In this context, Trump also mentioned Beijing.
“Now I need to get China to do the same,” he added.
Context
Despite Western sanctions against the Russian Federation due to the war in Ukraine, New Delhi maintains close ties with Moscow in the military-technical sphere and energy. In particular, India remains one of the main importers of Russian weapons and oil. According to Reuters, as of August 2025, India was buying approximately 1.75 million barrels of Russian crude oil daily, which is helping the Kremlin finance its military action against Ukraine.
On July 30, Trump announced the introduction of a 25 percent tariff on all Indian goods due to New Delhi's cooperation with Moscow. On August 6, he raised tariffs to 50%, accusing India of indifference to victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Indian Foreign Ministry called the American sanctions “unjustified” and declared its intention to protect national interests. Modi announced his readiness to “pay a high price” for maintaining trade relations with the Russian Federation and called the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin a “friend.”
According to Bloomberg on August 20, despite American sanctions, Indian refineries continue to purchase Russian oil, although they planned to reduce volumes to 1.4–1.6 million barrels per day from October.
