Russia has retained its status as the main supplier of oil to India

Russia has retained its position as the largest supplier of crude oil to India, providing a third of the country's total imports, despite an increase in purchases of American oil by Indian refineries. This was stated by The Economic Times newspaper, citing data from the analytical company Kpler.

"Russia remained the largest supplier of crude oil to India, which accounts for a third of all imports. Iraq is the second largest supplier, followed by Saudi Arabia," the article says.

According to the newspaper, in October, oil imports from the United States reached 540,000 barrels per day, the highest level since 2022. The increase in U.S. imports is also seen as a step to reduce trade tensions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which has imposed increased tariffs on Indian goods.

At the same time, according to the publication, Indian refineries continue to balance between energy security, economic efficiency and Washington's geopolitical demands.

Why India does not succumb to US pressure over Russian oil. Analysis

On October 16, US President Donald Trump announced that the Indian Prime Minister had allegedly promised him to stop buying Russian oil. The American leader called this an important step and noted that his goal now is to convince China to do the same. Trump explained that the process of refusing to purchase oil from Russia cannot be completed immediately, but it will be completed soon. According to the US president, after the end of the conflict in Ukraine, India may start buying Russian energy resources again. He added that India's abandonment of Russian oil greatly simplifies the situation.

Later, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, commenting on Trump's words, said that India focuses on the interests of its consumers in the field of energy imports. According to him, India and the United States have been working together for many years to expand energy purchases. As Jaiswal pointed out, the last 10 years have shown the rapid development of this area, which is why the current American administration is interested in deepening energy cooperation between the two countries.

Then Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian Federation was guided by official statements from the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on oil purchases.

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