Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak. File | Photo credit: Reuters
Russia is confident that its energy cooperation with India will “continue”, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday, a day after US President Donald Trump said New Delhi had assured him to stop buying oil from Russia.
“We continue to work with our friendly partners. There is a demand for our energy source. It is economically viable and feasible,” Mr Novak, who oversees Russia’s energy sector, said, according to the independent Interfax news agency.
“…I am sure that our partners will continue to work with us, cooperate and develop energy cooperation,” he said.
Mr Novak said this in response to Mr Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop buying Russian oil.
The US president said that while India may not be able to cancel the contract immediately, the process has begun.
“In the press today, we only see signals that our partners declare that no one can dictate anything to them and that they will choose their own path,” Novák said.
Responding to Trump’s claims on the oil trade, India on Thursday said it was “broadly establishing and diversifying” its energy sources to meet market conditions, stressing that its import policy was solely driven by national interests.
Russia is among the leading oil suppliers to India.
On Wednesday, Mr. Novak said that India mainly pays for Russian oil in rubles, but has started paying in China’s yuan currency.
Traditionally dependent on Middle Eastern oil, India has significantly increased its imports from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022. Western sanctions and reduced European demand have made Russian oil available at deep discounts.
In the first seven months of 2025, Russian oil exports reached 87.5 million tonnes, or 36.4% of India’s total imports, according to Interfax.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said he has ordered the government to take steps to ease the trade imbalance with India.
Published – 17 Oct 2025 02:03 IST
