How U.S. oil sanctions are testing India-Russia ties

In Focus by The Hindu · Nov 16, 2025 · 47m

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the U.S. and its allies have rolled out sweeping sanctions — freezing Moscow’s central-bank assets, cutting major banks off SWIFT, and capping Russian oil prices through export bans and trade restrictions.

These moves have reshaped global energy flows, with India emerging as one of Russia’s top oil buyers — importing record volumes of discounted crude despite mounting Western pressure.

Under the Biden administration, Washington led these coordinated efforts to choke off funding for Russia’s war. President Donald Trump, meanwhile…