Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that India is not currently under any pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing secondary sanctions. He made this remark in response to a question by Firstpost’s Managing Editor Palki Sharma, who asked about the possible impact of Trump’s warning on India’s oil industry.

Trump Announces Harsh Measures Against Russia and Its Trade Partners

Earlier this week, Trump announced a new set of tariffs aimed at punishing Russia for its continued war against Ukraine. He introduced a 100% tariff on Russian exports, including oil. In addition, he warned that countries importing from Russia — including India — would face secondary tariffs. He gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to end the war or face these penalties.

India Says It's Not Feeling the Heat Yet

Responding to the threat, Puri said during an event on Thursday, “Right now, I don’t have any pressure in my mind.” He admitted that India’s oil imports from Russia had increased considerably after the war began in 2022.

India's Dependence on Russian Oil Has Grown

Since February 2022, India has been buying large volumes of discounted Russian oil, especially as Western nations have stopped doing business with Moscow due to sanctions. Today, Russian oil makes up around one-third of India’s total oil imports, a huge jump from under 1% before the war.

This shift helped India save on energy costs. However, if Trump’s proposed secondary sanctions are enforced, they could severely impact India’s oil supply and pricing.

What Secondary Sanctions Could Mean for India

Western media reports suggest these secondary tariffs wouldn’t just target individual companies dealing with Russia. Instead, they could apply to the entire country, possibly affecting all merchandise exports from India.

In such a case, Indian oil refiners may be forced to switch away from Russian oil and rely more on West Asian countries and new partners like Brazil. But this alternative supply would be costlier, hurting India’s energy economics.

India Already Looking for Alternatives

To prepare for this possibility, India has already started discussions with two major oil producers in West Asia. The government wants to ensure additional supplies if Russian barrels become unavailable due to sanctions.