“My encouragement to these three countries, particularly… if you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi… you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard,” Rutte told reporters after meeting U.S. lawmakers. “So please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him he has to get serious about peace talks.”India is currently one of the largest importers of Russian crude oil, which is sold at a price cap of $60 per barrel, significantly below global market rates. As of July 2025, Russian crude accounts for 42% of India’s total oil imports, or around 2.08 million barrels per day.Much of this oil is processed by Indian refiners into products that are then exported, including to G7 countries. Analysts say additional tariffs on Russian-origin oil could render Indian refined exports uncompetitive.Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has repeatedly defended its oil trade with Moscow, citing strategic autonomy and the need to secure affordable energy supplies for its 1.4 billion citizens. “We buy from where we get the best deal, and we comply with international sanctions. It is not our policy to bow under unilateral pressure at the cost of our national interests,” a source said. The specifics of Trump’s proposed sanctions and how they would be enforced globally still remain unclear.
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