US President Donald Trump once claimed on Saturday (25 October 2025) that India has completely cut oil imports from Russia. He said that this step of India is a big step towards strategic partnership with America. However, India has earlier rejected all such claims and clarified that the decision to purchase oil is based on its national interests and not on external pressures.

The Trump administration said that economic and financial sanctions are being imposed on these companies to prevent the Russian energy sector from funding the war machine. These sanctions include freezing the assets of two Russian companies Rosneft and Lukoil in the US, barring American citizens from any financial transactions with them and appealing to global partner countries to maintain trade distance with them. The move is a direct hit to Russia’s economy as Rosneft and Lukoil control about 45% of Russia’s total oil exports.

What is India’s stance on Russian oil?

Soon after Trump’s claim, Indian Foreign Ministry sources once again reiterated that India will continue to buy crude oil from Russia as it is an important part of energy security and cheap supply. India says that unless there is an official ban at the United Nations (UN) level, no country can stop it from buying oil from a particular seller.

An official of India’s Energy Ministry said on condition of anonymity that our priority is to ensure that India gets cheap and stable oil. We cannot compromise with our interests. Trump has earlier also claimed that India will gradually stop buying oil from Russia, but India’s purchase figures show that Russia is still India’s largest crude oil supplier, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Trump’s next diplomatic move

Trump also said during his announcement that he expected a full trade deal when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. He said that we will also talk about fentanyl (a deadly drug) and agricultural trade. It is killing many Americans and it comes from China. This meeting is taking place at a time when tension between America and China is at its peak regarding technical restrictions, trade balance and raw material supply chain.

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China-US Trade Tensions: Tension has once again increased between the world’s two economic superpowers, America and China, regarding tariffs. America is now trying its best to put pressure on China and can also take tough decisions regarding this. After Beijing’s threat of tariffs up to 155 percent, Washington is now planning the next step against China.

According to Reuters report, the Trump administration is preparing to respond to China’s recent steps, which include a ban on the export of rare earth metals. After this, America is considering taking steps like cutting down on software products exported to China.

China-US face to face

Citing US officials, Reuters reported that many items, from laptops to jet engines, could be banned. The purpose of this step is to implement President Trump’s statement given on social media on October 10, in which he had said that up to 100 percent tariff can be imposed on goods imported from China.

Apart from this, controlling the export of any important software till November 1 is also being considered. However, officials also said that it is not yet clear how the proposals will be implemented. This plan only indicates that tensions have increased in trade relations between China and America.

What will be Trump’s next step?

The plan is that the US will ban software and technologies that use US technology or software, as implemented by the Biden administration after Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022. Experts say that if America fully implements these sanctions, then trade relations with China may completely deteriorate, and it may also have an economic impact on America.

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson did not comment directly against the US proposed steps. However, he warned that if Washington takes any action, Beijing will oppose such unilateral action and defend its legitimate rights and national interests.

Also read: Crude oil prices on fire due to US action and report of India’s cut in Russian oil purchases.