Public sentiment is divided but leans towards defending India's sovereignty against US sanctions regarding oil trade with Russia. Many commenters express national pride and skepticism towards Western influence while advocating for strategic partnerships with Russia and China. A notable portion of the commentary reflects frustration towards the Indian government’s perceived capitulation to US interests, along with concerns over the impacts of sanctions on ordinary citizens.

Indian Government

US Government

Russian Government

I mean China has also reduced imports. India wants trade deals with both USA and EU, cannot happen without reducing Russian crude imports. No point antagonising countries who are 10X their size, its not like it will hurt their relations with Russia either way.

EmergencyAtTheIKEA

Seems like good news overall. 


&gt;After a steady rise for nearly three years, India’s imports of Russian crude oil declined significantly in November 2025. This followed sanctions by the United States on Russian energy companies and the imposition of substantial reciprocal tariffs on India, including duties on Russian oil purchases. In response to these economic pressures, Indian oil companies are reassessing their trade relationships with Russian counterparts

myreala

All I can see it that this has increased overall cost of crude oil barrel thereby putting more burden on people during upcoming holidays.

pavan891

If the EU had put secondary sanctions on Russia's oil exports, Russia would have already been bankrupt.

AcanthocephalaEast79

india basically became the middleman refining russian oil and selling it back to europe at a markup so these sanctions kinda backfired in a way

voidlime

gotta say these US sanctions ain't doin' anybody any favs rn.

RiceBowlRider13

India is going to buy russian oil no matter what they say lol

[deleted]

so stopping buying russian oil is good is it ...India is in a very precarious position ...India needs russia ..we have China as neighbor ...so to balance the power india cannot give up russia at all ....USA needs to understand this .......

NoEntertainment2790

The purchase of Russian oil will stop one day. That is a practical move as transportation costs of Russian oil are huge. We currently have a difference of 2$ per barrel and as such, Russian oil is a cheaper option currently. The day Russian oil returns to its original price, it would be very expensive for India.

India knows this. Russia knows this. Our friendship is not based on oil. It is based on defence. We can stop buying Russian oil and place an order for Russian weapons. It would soften both sides.

P.S.: I have a hunch that we would stop buying Russian oil once the Petrol Bonds are paid up. That’s February 2026.

Emotional_Stranger_5

The problem is India practically has zero leverage on the U.S. and Trump isn’t interested in India either. 

The U.S. as always will bully weaker countries, it’s sickening seeing how European, Japanese and SK leaders are literally kowtowing to Trump.

ThroatEducational271

You need to understand now how things are in today’s world . India growth is not in advantage for either China , US , our neighbours except Bhutan &amp; probably Sri Lanka . EU is sort of neutral. So you see now , all the roadblocks will be there now in India progress. India needs to end corruption in bureaucracy, and make a fair playing field , enhance its value system to promote competition across companies and not to create large lala companies everywhere. It is unfortunate, but there is no help from outside to India anymore . We are on our own , live or die , it will be of our own making now.

rohit6489

My guess is that they will find a face saving way to manage this so that A) Trump gets to say he's the best dealmaker ever, win win win, blah blah blah, B) India gets most of severe tariffs lifted, or at least benchmarked to the base level so that its not at a significant disadvantage C) They create enough of a loophole to enable India to keep buying Russian oil and gas, but more indirectly, so that the US can say they have made Russian sanctions tougher, without really having to deal with the real impact of actually curbing supply of Russian energy on global energy markets. 

The whole thing was so stupid from the start.

aesndi

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I'm not the biggest fan of India's politics (specifically because of their friendship with Russia), but they're 100% right here. The West should be buying absolutely nothing from Russia, even indirectly. The only way we can bankrupt Russia is if we all work together.

RoastMasterShawn

Russia is an excuse, on one side trump is targeting india to attack brics on the other he's also targeting India to force apple CEO relocate the production of iPhones to the US.

syylvo

It's true and EU also buys Russian oil from India. This is why people outside of the west, HATE the west. We are total hypocrites.

Not only for us blaming India for financing Russia's war against Ukraine while Europe is as well, but even when we criticize Russia for it's invasion of Ukraine while we are simultaneously helping Israel clear out Gaza so they can occupy the land.

Israel is doing the same thing Russia is. [Netanyahu admits he's going to occupy all of Gaza](https://www.newsweek.com/israel-fully-occupy-gaza-strip-netanyahu-office-2108730)

World oil market is controlled by sanction (venezuela, iran and Russia) and cartelisation (Opec+), the moment you take out russia from oil market, you will see the jump in oil prices, even in current situation.....

US himself is buying uranium from russia, fertilizer too, Trump just want to put tariff on India  recently when canada supported palestine , he said, that by doing this ,canada and US can't do trade deal....

Bps33382

India isn’t wrong.

US bought over a billion USD in fertilizer from Russia last year

EU bought over 20 billion Euro in fossil fuel directly from Russia last year.

MD_Yoro

Im European and they are 100% correct. Indont like that we or them trade with Russia, but I will never support sanctions against India. They for sure are not allies, but India is truly not an enemy.

Maxmilian_

Biden travelled to India to beg India to buy Russian oil in order to stabilize the market and now Trump and EU want India to stop. So the west think India is a toy? EU and USA stop trading with Russia first ant then talk about others.

Inside-Till3391

The EU buys Russian oil yes. They mostly stopped buying gas though. And the Russian oil is bought with a price cap to decrease Russian income from oil exports. At the same time buying it is necessary to stop Russia from suddenly stopping it’s exports and thereby causing an oil crisis. 

It may sound worse to buy the Russian oil for cheap. It might sound better to stop buying Russian oil overall. But in a world that relies on fossil fuels it would destabilise the whole economy (An economy that’s already weak because of the Russian asset in the White House, the war itself, Corona and other causes.) We need our economy to support Ukraine.

Express-Ad2523

Modi you can’t confront Trump with logic and facts. You’re just pissing him off while Pakistan praises him and nominates him for the nobel peace prize.

You need to be careful. If war erupts with Pakistan, and you hurt Donny Dumbfuck’s feelings, he’s probably going to support Pakistan, and if there are ceasefire talks again, he will use his power to make sure Pakistan gets the best deal. 

Modi doesn’t seem to understand how he is putting his country in danger by not sucking Trump off. As much as I like to see a world leader standing up to Trump, it could come at a big cost.

Y0___0Y

Companies in India are buying and refining. Then a lot of that refined products is sold in EU and US.  

ResponsibleBank1387

Tariffs are on India. Russia will keep selling the question is whether India will keep buying.

troublesome58

India just hosted the Chinese foreign minister, PM modi will visit China soon after 9 years, Direct flights are resuming soon. India will move away from the US and EU. The biggest backstabbing america did to India was hosting the Pakistani general and helping the terror state. 

As they say being America's friend is deadly.

Psychological-Dot270

The truth is that tarrifs are paid by the domestic importers. It’s going to do more damage to American companies than Indian ones. The EU buys a tonne of “indian” oil at high markup knowing full well that it’s that same oil it used to buy directly for cheaper. I never understood this. America has declining influence over this and it really wouldn’t hurt India or Russia very much to put tariffs and sanctions in place. Certainly less than it would damage indo-American geopolitical relations. It won’t be so long before India is a bigger gdpppp economy than America anyway and then they get to dictate. It’s a self inflicted wound that’s pretty pointless for the US

WonkiWombat

Why is Europe buying 19% gas from Russia?
Is europe going to buy from US LNG? 

So at the end of the day it is business $ and wtf care about Ukraine.

sfrogerfun

Why is no one talking about most of the Indian bought Russian oil is just refined and sold to the EU?

Fit_Rice_3485

And Americans will continue paying for all these new Trump Sales Taxes, because Trump got his feelings hurt by India. because india denied trump mediating indo-pak conflict earlier in the year. This quashed the Nobel chances for the pedo potus.

Trumplethinskin

flugenblar

Good idea -- and they gave India 5% discount too!

Prize-Grapefruiter

Easy for them to say,  they are already sanctioned.  It's people buying to decide if it's worth the trade off 

lAljax

So, the US just needs to increase them for better profit. Looks like some easy money.

America is just ending up creating extremely strong India-Russia-China economic trio, all of then ready to drop all differences and boost trade significantly.

Probably a BRICS currency is on the cards soon

Lumiaman88

That's not how any of this works, but ok.

Capable-Deer-5670

Cool, keep paying, all good. Win Win for USA.

Cautious-Roof2881

Russia oil refineries are being bombed. They sell it unrefined.

Away-Tea6971

GHASTLY_GRINNNNER

I'm glad to see the wealthy Indian families still profit 📈.

InterestingList6729

Chingachgook1757

We’ll, derrr. Of course you will. You need money for drones to blow up schools and hospitals in Ukraine, you silly little man.

Tonethefungi

Americans will continue to print dollars😀😀😀

IntelligentMood4095

EU should tarrif the shit out of both India and China.

ConclusionCrazy355

All because Trump was in Russia and Putin just kept taped him on the back of the head and said good boy Donnie.

Particular_Row_8037

Modi is out there taunting Trump in public - look up his recent remarks about ‘digital aid’. I don’t think he cares about appeasing Trump.

AfterDarkAsset

He shouldn’t. Trump is not a good faith negotiator. There should never be any compromise unless US are willing to sign a trade treaty that will be ratified by Congress with clauses against any future third party sanctions against India or Indian entities. Any compromises may be made in that treaty.

Sumeru88

Is russian oil really an issue ? 

The oil goes to Europe after refining. That's why sanction made an exception to russian oil as long it comes indirectly,uch as through india. 

Keeping that in mind, it does not matter if india keeps importing russian oil. 

How will a large country like India thst pretty much imports all its oil requirements,get oil from elsewhere without oil pricing going up ?

lukup

SS

Indian PM Modi's got a big headache - How to square things with Trump and get America off India's back.

America's back at the table for trade deal negotiations. India's willing to compromise on red lines like on GMOs and dairy imports and willing to pony up cash to buy American aircraft, weapons and oil.

But that isn't the problem. The problem is the guy in the White House. Trump's the one holding up the trade deal and officials on both sides say nothing's gonna change until Trump's personal grudge against Modi gets patched up.

What's the problem? Trump wanted Modi to kiss his ass. First he asked for a Nobel peace prize nomination, then for India to announce that it'd stop buying Russian oil. Both times Modi said no.

Modi probably wouldn't mind stopping Russian oil imports. He'd probably have done it if Trump had asked nicely. But Trump doesn't really give a shit about that - He wants to humiliate Modi, show India giving up and kneeling before him. He wants to show his MAGA fanboys a PUBLIC win, Modi's only ready to give him a PRIVATE one. That's the stalemate.

So what's the way out? The ball's in Trump's court. Maybe the new ambassador to India(who's one of his main lackeys) could convince him to just sign the deal. Maybe India could offer another sweetener, like a new defence deal with Boeing(who Trump's tight with).

Either way, the pro-US argument in the Indian diplomatic world are holding their noses and keeping their heads down because they've been eating crow with Trump destroying a lot of what they were hyping about the India-US relationship. That's gonna have long-term consequences.

casualphilosopher1

 No, because the russian oil stuff was a excuse.

Jealous_Land9614

Why does Trump demand things from India he is unwilling to do (add new sanctions to Russia). Trump has no tariffs on Russia. I really seems that it is just the excuse to drive India towards Russia while pretending to want the opposite.

Jazzlike_Painter_118

India is facing a critical shift in its crude oil imports due to US sanctions against Russian oil companies, leading to adjustments in buying strategies amid geopolitical tension.

India-Russia Oil Trade and US Sanctions

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