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New Delhi: A senior aide to US President Donald Trump has accused India of indirectly funding Russia's war in Ukraine by continuing to purchase discounted oil from Moscow. The comments come days after Trump levied an undisclosed penalty on New Delhi for buying Russian oil and weapons.
Stephen Miller, deputy chief of Staff at the White House and one of Trump's closest and most influential aides, criticised India's energy trade with Russia during an appearance on Fox News on Sunday. He reiterated Trump's position that India's continued imports of Russian crude are "not acceptable".
"What he [President Trump] said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing oil from Russia. People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact," Miller told the network. This is some of the strongest criticism yet by the Trump administration about one of the US's "major allies" in the Indo-Pacific.
Despite US pressure, the Indian government has made it clear that securing affordable energy for its population remains a priority. According to reports, New Delhi has not instructed its state-owned or private refiners to stop sourcing crude from Russia, stating that purchases are commercial decisions made by refiners based on cost and availability.
Miller, however, said that President Trump "wants a tremendous relationship" with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi but added that New Delhi must take a more realistic approach regarding the financing of the war in Ukraine. "All options are on the table -- diplomatic, financial, and otherwise -- to deal with this ongoing war, so we can achieve peace," he said.
Trump had earlier announced the new trade measures against India via a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. His primary frustration, sources say, stems from India's reluctance to open up its agriculture sector during Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.
"Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high—among the highest in the world—and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country," Trump wrote. He imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods entering the US.
India has significantly increased the import of crude from Russia in the last one year after Moscow started giving discounts amid western sanctions. According to reports, India's import rose from a mere 0.2 per cent to around 40 per cent within a span of few months.
Meanwhile, according to a report by ANI, India has also ramped up energy imports from the United States in 2025, with an over 50 per cent increase since Trump returned to office earlier this year.
