India, Russia deepens deepening trade relations, and challenging Trump’s oil threats

On Thursday, India and Russia approved the expansion of bilateral trade relations, indicating that the pressure of the American tariff on New Delhi on the purchases of Russian oil is unlikely to come out of its partnership.

India is currently facing an additional tariff of up to 50 % on the goods that are shipped to the United States, after the Trump administration has escalated the threats of customs tariffs in response to its large resuced Russian energy.

Indian Foreign Minister Subhraniam Jaishhanskar told a joint press conference in Moscow that India’s relations were among the “oldest major relations in the world after World War II.”

Jeishnikar said that both countries pledged to enhance bilateral trade, including increasing India’s exports of medicines, agriculture and textiles to Russia to help reduce the current defect.

bilateral Trade between New Delhi and Moscow It reached a record number 68.7 billion dollars for the year ending in March 2025, with the increase in oil imports in India in a deficit of $ 59 billion.

Jaishhankar added that other plans include sending Indian workers with skills in information technology, construction and engineering to help Russia to address the lack of labor.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that cooperation in the Russian hydrocarbons and oil shipments to the Indian market “take wide steps.” He said that both sides are still committed to the implementation of joint energy production projects in the Russian Far East and the Russian Arctic Riff, among other sites.

Lavrov added: “This strategic partnership … contributes to regional security and stability, which is undoubtedly important given the difficult international circumstances in which we work.”

Western governments imposed sanctions on Moscow, saying that India’s increasing imports helped in the Moscow war in Ukraine. New Delhi has retreated, saying that the American administration has requested purchases to maintain calm for the markets, noting that the European Union and European Union trade with Russia.

Officials of the Russian embassy in New Delhi It is said He said on Wednesday that oil shipments to India will continue despite the pressure in the United States, adding that Moscow hopes that a triple meeting with India and China will be held soon.

“Despite the political situation, we can predict that the same level of importing oil (by India),” said Roman Babushkin, the accusation of the Russian embassy in India.

“Russia has been a close strategic partner since the 1970s, and the Trump administration’s tariff threats have not changed,” said Daniel Palazas, a research colleague at the College of International Studies.

“On the contrary, it may serve as an incentive,” Balazis added, which prompted New Delhi to agree to a triple meeting that Moscow sought the mediator with China.

India was the second largest buyer of Russian oil, importing 1.6 million barrels per day in the first half of this year, an increase of 50,000 barrels in 2020, although it is still behind the imports of China, which is valued at 2 million barrels per day, according to the US Energy Information Department.

Washington did not put a secondary tariff on China due to the purchases of Russian oil. When asked about the role of China in the purchases of Russian oil, US Treasury Secretary Scott Payette suggested that Beijing’s imports are less terrible because it was already a major buyer even before Russia invaded Ukraine.

In contrast, Washington has escalated India’s criticism in recent days, accusing a nation Cheap of cheap Russian crude And threatening high definitions on Indian goods.

Trump’s real agenda seems to have nothing to do with Washington’s declared goal of reducing oil revenues in Moscow, however Extracting the leverage from these commercial partnersAccording to many geopolitical experts. This includes securing a trade deal with New Delhi with Putin’s push to stop an agreement in Ukraine.

Last week, Trump launched a red carpet to salute Putin on his first visit to the United States about a decade ago, where he participated in a presidential limousine to the place. The meeting was held at Alaska, which was previously part of Russia.

The meeting does not seem to have produced targeted steps towards a ceasefire in Ukraine, and the Russian government has repeated its opposition to any short -term ceasefire deal with Ukraine.

Speaking at the joint news conference on Thursday, Lavrov said that he had briefed the Indian officials on these talks.

“India’s approach continues to emphasize dialogue and diplomacy as it is necessary to resolve differences,” said Jayishkar.