Trump aide calls India ‘good actor’ on Russian oil purchase

The US said it had temporarily allowed India to receive oil shipments from Russia due to global supply disruptions, and the White House described New Delhi as a “good actor” complying with previously sanctioned crude oil restrictions.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the decision was approved by US President Donald Trump in coordination with the US Treasury Department. He said the move was influenced by India’s previous cooperation in restricting purchases of sanctioned Russian oil.

“We came to this decision because our allies in India are good actors and have previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil. We have temporarily allowed India to accept Russian oil while we try to close this temporary gap in world oil supply because of the Iranians,” Leavitt said.

He added that most of the crude oil in question was shipped before the decision was finalized. Because the cargo was “already at sea”, officials argued that the deliveries would have limited economic impact on Moscow.

Leavitt also said the shipment “will not provide any significant financial benefit to the Russian government.”

These remarks follow similar comments earlier this month by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who confirmed that Washington had provided temporary flexibility for India to import Russian oil during the current energy blackout.
The Russian oil issue has previously triggered tensions between Washington and New Delhi over customs duties. As part of Trump’s broader trade measures, India initially faced 25% tariffs during the “liberation day” policy announcement. The White House has said the reduction in tariffs is linked to New Delhi’s commitments to scale back and eventually stop buying Russian oil.

The developments come amid a broader global energy crisis linked to rising tensions in West Asia involving the United States, Israel and Iran. In India, authorities have begun taking steps to manage energy availability. The central government set up a grievance redressal committee and moved to increase supplies of liquefied petroleum gas following reports of a shortage of commercial cylinders in some parts of the country.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, refineries have been instructed to increase LPG production, while authorities are prioritizing household consumption. Non-essential and commercial use of LPG is also under scrutiny as authorities seek to stabilize supplies during the ongoing crisis.