POTUS says India has agreed not to purchase Russian oil
President Trump announced an updated trade deal with India, seemingly curbing Russian influence by nudging India’s purchasing power toward the U.S and Venezuela
by Summer Lane | February 2, 2026
President Donald Trump has negotiated an updated deal with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid increasingly difficult tensions in Eastern Europe as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.
“We spoke about many things, including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine,” President Trump said in a statement posted to Truth Social.
The president continued, “He agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!”
This comes just weeks following the United States military’s essential takeover of Venezuela’s oil reserves, estimated to be the largest in the world.
“Out of friendship and respect for Prime Minister Modi and, as per his request, effective immediately, we agreed to a Trade Deal between the United States and India, whereby the United States will charge a reduced Reciprocal Tariff, lowering it from 25% to 18%,” President Trump said.
He additionally revealed that India had agreed to move to reduce their tariffs and non-tariff barriers against the U.S. to zero. The nation further committed to “BUY AMERICAN,” with a special emphasis on purchasing U.S. energy tech, agricultural products, and more.
“Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward,” President Trump expressed. “Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that GET THINGS DONE, something that cannot be said for most.”
This newest development between the U.S. and India comes months after PM Modi met in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin – a meeting that alarmed some leaders in the West and drew President Trump’s veiled criticism.
“What few people understand is that we do very little business with India, but they do a tremendous amount of business with us,” he said at the time. ““In other words, they sell us massive amounts of goods, their biggest ‘client,’ but we sell them very little – Until now a totally one sided relationship, and it has been for many decades. The reason is that India has charged us, until now, such high Tariffs, the most of any country, that our businesses are unable to sell into India.”
President Trump applied pressure on India last year by tariffing the majority of U.S. imports into the country, as it refused to stop purchasing oil from Russia. He also publicly noted that India should have dropped its tariff rates to zero “years ago.”
