Trump says Modi assured India will stop buying oil from Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him that India will stop buying oil from Russia, a pledge Trump described after a White House meeting that he said was aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. India did not immediately confirm the account.

Trump told reporters that Modi had "assured me there will be no oil purchased from Russia," and acknowledged the change would not be instantaneous, calling it "a little bit of a process." He said he would next press China to take similar steps and that the measures were intended to tighten economic pressure on Russia to prompt negotiations over the conflict that began with Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

If New Delhi follows through, it would mark a major shift in energy trade. India and China have been the largest buyers of Russian seaborne crude since Western sanctions were imposed, with India generally cited as the second-largest purchaser after China. Analysts and officials cautioned that markets could tighten and prices rise if demand from one of those buyers were to fall, and oil futures rose on the announcement as traders adjusted supply...