What President Trump said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing oil from Russia,” Miller stated. He added that India is now “practically tied with China” in terms of Russian oil purchases — a claim that surprised many viewers.

But while the Indian government may not be deterred by Trump's threats, sources told Reuters this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil after July discounts narrowed to their lowest since 2022 - when sanctions were first imposed on Moscow - due to lower Russian exports and steady demand.

A top aide to President Donald Trump on Sunday accused India of effectively financing Russia's war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow, after the U.S. leader escalated pressure on New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil.