How the Dispute Evolved: A TimelineThe tension dates back to more than a year ago. In October 2025, Trump told reporters Modi had personally assured him India would stop buying Russian oil, adding that he would next press China to do the same, according to Al Jazeera. By January 2026, Trump was signaling frustration that the purchases had continued, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that tariffs could rise again if India did not curb its Russian oil imports, according to the Deccan Herald. Modi confirmed the reduced tariff rate in a post on X but did not explicitly confirm the commitment to stop buying Russian oil, according to CNN and Al Jazeera. Despite the February agreement, India continued to import roughly 1.5 million barrels of Russian oil per day months later, according to trade data from Kpler cited by CNN.