Trump criticism on India over Russian oil imports is unfair and geopolitically biased, says GTRI, exposing China's bigger role.
US President Donald Trump’s sharp criticism of India’s Russian oil imports has sparked fresh debate, according to a recent Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report, Trump’s approach appears selective and unfair. The report highlights that while China imports more Russian oil than India, Trump has spared Beijing from criticism. GTRI attributes this bias to geopolitical strategy and clarifies several factual inaccuracies in Trump’s recent claims, including his assertion that India profits by reselling Russian oil on global markets but the report concludes that India is being unfairly targeted, while China’s larger role remains unquestioned.
The GTRI report points out that China was the largest buyer of Russian oil in 2024, importing oil worth USD 62.6 billion. India, by comparison, imported USD 52.7 billion. Despite this, Trump has only criticized India. GTRI suggests this selectiveness may stem from geopolitical calculations that discourage direct criticism of China.
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Trump recently posted on Truth Social accusing India of buying "massive amounts of Russian oil and selling it on the open market for big profits." GTRI flatly rejected this claim. India does not export crude oil—neither Russian nor from any other source. It is a net importer. What India exports are refined petroleum products, such as diesel and jet fuel, some of which are made from Russian crude. This practice is standard for many energy-importing nations.
According to GTRI, both public and private Indian refineries act independently. They choose their crude sources based on commercial logic—such as price, reliability, and export regulations. They do not require government permission to buy from Russia or elsewhere and if there are risks like secondary sanctions or reduced market access, companies may voluntarily stop importing from Russia.
GTRI notes that this shift is already happening. In May 2025, India’s oil imports from Russia fell by 9.8 per cent, totaling USD 9.2 billion compared to May 2024 and this drop reflects market-based decisions by refiners, not state pressure. For instance, India exported diesel and ATF to the EU in FY2025 but however, those exports will now end due to the EU’s new restrictions on fuels made from Russian oil.
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In its conclusion, the GTRI report states that India is being singled out unfairly in Trump’s rhetoric and meanwhile, China, despite playing a larger role in Russian oil trade, escapes criticism. The report suggests that geopolitical interests may be influencing this imbalance in accountability.
