India 'cutting back completely on Russian oil', reiterates Trump ahead of key China talks

Earlier, Trump announced fresh sanctions targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, a move aimed at tightening financial pressure on Moscow and limiting its ability to fund military operations through energy exports.

US President Donald Trump, on Saturday, claimed that India has “cut back completely” on its purchases of Russian oil following new US sanctions on Moscow’s energy sector. He also said that he would discuss the issue, along with agricultural trade and the global fentanyl crisis, during his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea next week.

The high-profile visit comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing over trade restrictions, technology bans, and raw material supplies.

“I may be discussing it (purchase of Russian oil),” Trump told reporters. “China’s cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India’s cutting back completely, and we’ve imposed sanctions.”

Earlier, Trump announced fresh sanctions targeting Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil, a move aimed at tightening financial pressure on Moscow and limiting its ability to fund military operations through energy exports.

India has, however, repeatedly rejected Trump’s claims, maintaining that its energy policy is guided by national interests and the need to secure affordable supplies. New Delhi has maintained that it has not agreed to any US-led reduction in Russian oil imports.

Trump also indicated that the US-China discussions would address agricultural trade and China’s role in fentanyl production and exports.

“I want our farmers to be taken care of, and he wants things also,” Trump said. “We’re going to be talking about fentanyl. It is killing a lot of people, a lot of people, it comes from China.”

Despite rising friction between the world’s two largest economies, Trump expressed optimism that the talks could result in a “complete deal” addressing multiple trade and security issues. “We’ll be talking about a lot of things,” he said, describing the meeting as an opportunity to “reset” US-China relations.

Notably, this is not the first time Trump has made claims regarding India’s Russian oil imports. He previously said that India would gradually reduce its purchases, projecting that by the end of the year, imports from Russia would drop significantly.

“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop... it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing; almost 40 percent of the oil,” Trump said.

The upcoming US-China meeting takes place amid heightened tensions over trade, technology, and raw materials, putting pressure on both sides to reach an agreement that could pause the ongoing trade war.

Trump reiterated his stance that China is also reducing Russian oil imports, suggesting that these measures, combined with sanctions, are aimed at restricting Moscow’s revenue streams while addressing broader geopolitical concerns.