US President Donald Trump warned India that tariffs could be increased soon if it continues to trade with Russia.
US Senator Lindsey Graham, who was standing with Trump, claimed that due to Trump's tariffs, India is now buying less oil from Russia.
Following these statements by Trump and Graham, opposition parties in India have criticized the central BJP government. The Congress party called it an insult to India and said that Prime Minister Modi should respond.
The Aam Aadmi Party said, "Modi ji, your silence is costing the country its honor."
What did Trump and the US Senator say?
On Sunday, US President Donald Trump and US Senator Lindsey Graham were speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One about the Russia-Ukraine war.
During this conversation, Lindsey Graham was telling reporters how US President Donald Trump's decisions have put the most pressure on Putin so far.
At this point, Trump interrupted him, saying, "This is hurting Russia badly, and India is also pulling itself out."
Then Lindsey Graham said, "He (Trump) imposed a 25 percent tariff on India for buying oil from Russia. I was at the Indian ambassador's (Vinay Kwatra) house about a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how they are now buying much less oil from Russia and that I should ask the President to provide tariff relief." "If you continue to buy cheap Russian oil and allow Putin's war machine to continue, we will give the president the ability to make tough choices through tariffs. I absolutely believe that what he (Trump) did with India is the reason why India is now buying significantly less Russian oil."
However, Lindsey Graham did not specify a date when he met with the Indian ambassador.
But according to a report in The Hindu newspaper, on December 2, 2025, Senator Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal were part of a US Senate delegation at the Indian Embassy in Washington.
During this time, Lindsey Graham was also discussing the 'Russian Sanctions Bill,' which he and Blumenthal co-sponsored and which has been introduced in the Senate.
This bill includes provisions for imposing tariffs of up to 500 percent on countries that buy oil or uranium from Russia.
'Modi knew I wasn't happy'
After Lindsey Graham's statement, President Trump, who was with him on the plane, interrupted him, saying, "They wanted to make me happy. Basically, Modi is a very good man. He knew I wasn't happy, and it was important to make me happy."
The US president said that 'they trade with each other' and if India doesn't listen to us, 'we can increase tariffs on them very quickly.'
Trump's statement comes at a time when negotiations between India and the US on tariffs are ongoing. Earlier, Trump had also claimed that PM Modi had assured him that India would limit its oil purchases from Russia.
The US has already imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, of which 25 percent was imposed as a 'penalty' for buying oil from Russia. Opposition Parties Demand Answers
Following Trump's latest statement, opposition parties are demanding answers from the central government. The Congress party has called Trump's statement an "insult to India."
The Congress party wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Trump said, 'Narendra Modi stopped buying oil from Russia to please me.' This is an insult to India. Narendra Modi should answer this and tell the country the truth."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wrote on X, "Modi ji, your silence is costing the country its honor. What is it that you want to please Trump for?"
India Reduces Oil Purchases from Russia
Looking at the oil delivery figures for December, it is clear that Indian oil companies have significantly reduced their oil purchases from Russian companies.
According to Bloomberg, five major Indian refinery companies did not place any oil purchase orders for the month of December.
Last August, US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports.
Immediately after this, India's oil purchases from Russia did not decrease significantly.
However, after the US sanctions on the two Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil in November, most of India's oil refineries almost completely stopped buying oil from Russia.
According to Kepler, a firm that provides real-time data on oil purchases, India bought 672,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia between November 1 and 17.
This is significantly less than the 1.8 million barrels per day purchased in October.
However, after the sanctions on the two Russian oil companies, Russia's oil exports to other destinations decreased by up to 28 percent.
It is being said that the ongoing trade deal negotiations between India and the US played a crucial role in this.
