Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump stated that the US and India “have agreed to a trade deal,” under which Washington would reduce reciprocal tariffs from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. Announcing the agreement, he also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to “stop buying Russian oil” and to purchase significantly more from the US. Responding to these claims, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reportedly clarified that Russia is not India’s only oil supplier and added that Moscow has not yet received any official communication from New Delhi.
This comes just a day after he reportedly made a similar remark, noting that Moscow has yet to receive any official communication from New Delhi.
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According to India Today, Peskov, addressing questions about US claims on India’s Russian oil imports, said that Russia is aware it is not the only supplier of oil and petroleum products to India. He added that New Delhi has consistently purchased these products from other countries as well.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also stated that they are convinced that India’s Russian hydrocarbons purchase is “mutually beneficial”.
India’s Russian oil import
India is the second-largest purchaser of Russian crude. However, beyond oil, India and Russia maintain a strong strategic and diplomatic relationship. Russian President Vladimir Putin also visited India in December 2025.
India-US trade deal
In his Truth Social post, Trump referred to his conversation with PM Modi, noting that the Prime Minister was one of his closest friends and a powerful, respected leader of India.
“It was an Honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi, of India, this morning. He is one of my greatest friends and, a Powerful and Respected Leader of his Country. We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week! Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%. They will likewise move forward to reduce their Tariffs and Non Tariff Barriers against the United States, to ZERO,” Trump’s post read.
“The Prime Minister also committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” at a much higher level, in addition to over $500 BILLION DOLLARS of U.S. Energy, Technology, Agricultural, Coal, and many other products. Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.
Following Trump’s post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X, said that it was wonderful to speak with his “dear friend President Trump” and expressed delight that “Made in India products will now have a reduced tariff of 18%”.
Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India and the US are complementary economies and the trade deal between the countries is beneficial for both parties.
According to ANI, since Prime Minister Modi visited the US in February 2025, both sides have been negotiating for a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) that’s beneficial for both sides.
On February 2, a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump led to the announcement of the trade deal.
(with ANI inputs)
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
