India justifies importing Russian oil amid US pressure

India has firmly rejected growing U.S. pressure to halt its crude oil imports from Russia, with Oil Minister Hardeep Puri emphasising that the imports have helped stabilise global markets.

Puri argued that India’s decision to continue purchasing Russian oil had prevented a potential price surge that could have pushed crude to $200 per barrel, Caliber.Az reports, citing Bloomberg.

He also directly challenged remarks from White House adviser Peter Navarro, who had criticised India for its continued purchases.

“India’s adherence to all international norms prevented a catastrophic $200 per barrel shock,” Puri wrote. “Some critics allege that India has become a ‘laundromat’ for Russian oil. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Puri stressed that India’s imports comply with the Group of Seven’s price-cap mechanism, designed to limit Moscow’s revenues while ensuring that global oil supplies remain uninterrupted. “India has stabilised markets and kept global prices from spiraling,” he said.

“The truth is that there is no substitute for the world’s second-largest producer supplying nearly 10% of global oil. Those who are pointing fingers ignore this fact,” Puri added.

On July 30, President Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods effective August 1, citing India’s continued imports of Russian crude oil as a key issue. He accused India of “fueling” Russia’s war machine by purchasing oil, which he claimed indirectly supports Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine.

A few days after the tariffs went into effect, on August 6, Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff, bringing the total to 50% on most Indian exports to the U.S., effective August 27. This was explicitly framed as a punitive measure for India’s refusal to halt Russian oil imports. Trump stated that India was “not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil” but also “selling it on the open market for big profits,” accusing New Delhi of disregarding the human cost of the Ukraine war.

By Khagan Isayev