Published: February 18, 2026 1:57 pm
Author: RT
Moscow has no reason to believe New Delhi has revised its policy on buying Russian crude, Maria Zakharova has said
India’s oil purchases ensure global energy security, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said.
Oil purchases by India, the world’s third-largest importer and consumer of crude, have been under scrutiny after the US claimed it agreed to stop buying oil from Russia.
In announcing the finalization of a trade deal in a social media post on February 2, US President Donald Trump claimed that New Delhi had agreed to halt oil purchases from Moscow.
“India has repeatedly expressed its position to the leaders of this state and in contact with Russian colleagues,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.
“[Oil purchases] are guided exclusively by national interests, taking a sovereign decision based on commercial feasibility,” she said. “I think that neither we nor you have a reason to believe that India has revised its approach.”
‘India’s Purchase of Russian Hydrocarbons Beneficial for Both Countries and Global Energy Stability’ – 🇷🇺 FM Spox Zakharova
‘India has repeatedly expressed its position to the leaders of this state and in contact with Russian colleagues. […] They are guided exclusively by… pic.twitter.com/dPRT85r5p5
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) February 18, 2026
New Delhi has defended its oil trade with Russia, arguing that its decisions are guided by national interests and the need to ensure energy security for its population of 1.4 billion.
In his post acknowledging the closing of the trade deal with the US, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make any mention of Russian crude purchases.
A joint statement by the US and India on a trade framework also made no mention of Russian oil.
Moscow has no information about India halting purchases of Russian oil, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said earlier this month.
Russia continues to be the largest oil supplier to India, Denis Alipov, Moscow’s envoy to New Delhi, has said. “Despite the West’s opposition and the temporary decrease in volumes to 1.2 million barrels per day in December and January, we remain India’s largest oil supplier,” he told RIA Novosti.
India became a key market for Russian crude following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
