Ending India’s Russian oil imports is top priority, says U.S. envoy-designate Sergio Gor

Getting India to stop buying Russian oil is a “top priority”, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor told U.S. Senators at his confirmation hearing on Thursday (September 11, 2025), indicating that despite a recent U.S. outreach to India to restart trade ties, Russian imports will continue to be an issue.

Mr. Gor said that Mr. Trump had made it “crystal clear” that India would have to end all imports of Russian oil, which make up about 35% to 40% of India’s intake.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also said that trade negotiations would be resolved “once” India stops buying the oil, suggesting this was a pre-condition for any deal. 

‘Resolution in few weeks’

“Getting India to stop buying Russian oil is a top priority for this administration,” Mr. Gor said, responding to questions from members of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee. “President Trump has made it crystal clear that India must stop buying Russian oil,” he added.

Mr. Gor, who hopes to be confirmed soon, added that India and the U.S. are “not that far apart” from a deal on the 50% tariffs that the U.S. has imposed on India. 

“I do think it will get resolved in the next few weeks,” Mr. Gor said, also indicating that Mr. Trump was committed to travelling to India for the Quad Summit, and has invited Indian Commerce and Trade officials to Washington next week to resume talks on a free trade agreement (FTA).

Pre-condition for deal

Mr. Lutnick, who has been more sharply critical of India, said that the U.S. President had called India’s purchase of Russian oil as “nonsense”. 

“India has to basically open its market, and stop buying Russian oil,” Mr. Lutnick told reporters in one of a series of interviews he gave on Friday (September 12, 2025).  “I think India [FTA], we’ll sort it out once they stop buying Russian oil,” he added.

The comments by U.S. officials come days after Mr. Trump posted that he expected “no difficulty” in coming to an agreement on trade. It is unclear whether he endorsed the statements linking the FTA to Russian oil imports.

In the past few days, two international media agencies — the Financial Times and CNBC TV — have reported that Mr. Trump told European Union leaders in a call that they must impose “100% tariffs” on India and China for their purchases of Russian oil. However, EU trade negotiators and Commissioners currently in Delhi for trade talks have made no comment on the issue. Diplomatic sources told The Hindu that the EU does impose sanctions, but does not weaponise tariffs as the U.S. has been doing. 

‘Despite hiccups, unique friendship’

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) declined to comment on the statements made by Mr. Gor and Mr. Lutnick.

Government officials have consistently denied any plans to cancel Indian oil imports from Russia, insisting that they will take decisions based on India’s market interests. However, Indian orders for Russian crude have dropped in September. In August, India purchased about 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd), well below the average of 2 million bpd over the past few years. 

Mr. Gor said that, despite the Indo-U.S. tensions over the past few months, which he referred to as “hiccups”, Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi have a “unique” friendship. “When the President has been critical of India, he goes out of his way to compliment Modi. They have an incredible relationship,” he said.