US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (local time) said that the decision to temporarily allow India to purchase Russian oil is intended to reduce pressure on global energy markets as tensions continue to disrupt supply routes across West Asia and the Persian Gulf.His remarks come after Scott Bessent, the US Treasury Secretary, yet again said that the United States has given India the "permission" to accept Russian oil in the wake of the developing security situation in West Asia. The decision comes amid increasing concerns that security tensions near the Strait of Hormuz could disrupt global oil supplies.
'To take a little pressure off': Trump
When asked about Bessent's announcement of temporarily allowing certain Russian oil sales to India and whether the US is considering any other moves, including the SPR, Trump, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said, "If there were some, I would do it just to take a little of the pressure off."
He added, "I think that the oil pressure-- there's a lot of oil. We've got a lot of oil. Our country has a tremendous amount, and we have, there's a lot of oil out there. That'll get healed very quickly."
Don't need anyone's permission to buy oil: India
However, India made it clear that it will continue to purchase crude oil from whichever source offers the most competitive prices, even as tensions persist along the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran-US-Israel war.
India also confirmed that it continues to import Russian oil, citing a temporary waiver granted by the United States due to the war in the Middle East. The Centre said New Delhi does not require permission from any country to make such purchases.
"India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil," the Centre said. "India is still importing Russian oil even in February 2026, and Russia is still India's largest crude oil supplier. For three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, India kept buying Russian oil despite US and EU objections. Imports increased significantly after 2022 due to discounted prices and refinery demand."
India sources nearly 40 per cent of its oil imports from the Middle East, with a significant portion transported through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Notably, according to sources, India is reviewing its energy situation twice a day and is in a very comfortable position regarding its energy security. India's current stock position is also seen to be comfortable, with stock being replenished every day.
As per the news agency sources, there is no shortage of LPG or LNG, as well as crude oil, in the world.
According to the sources, the country currently has access to more energy supplies from diversified sources than the volume that could potentially be impacted through the Strait of Hormuz. India's existing stock of crude oil and petroleum products is also adequate to meet domestic demand.
They highlighted that India has significantly diversified its crude import basket over the past few years. Since 2022, India has been importing crude oil from Russia. While Russia accounted for only 0.2 per cent of India's total crude imports in 2022, the share has risen substantially in the following years.
"In February, India imported about 20 per cent of its total crude oil imports from Russia, amounting to around 1.04 million barrels per day," government sources said.