Indian officials said that they would continue to buy cheap oil from Russia despite threats of punishment from President Trump.

Source:The New York Times with reference to sources 

Details:Two senior Indian officials said there had been no change in policy. One of the officials said that the government did not give oil companies any guidance on cutting imports from Russia.

At a news conference a day earlier, Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for India's foreign ministry, declined to comment directly on Trump's threat. But he hinted that the policy towards Russia will not change.

"Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership," Jaiswal said.

Some analysts believe Trump's focus on India's purchases of Russian oil could be a negotiating tactic as India and the US try to complete the first stages of a bilateral trade deal.

Background: 

• US President Donald Trump said about the introduction of a 25% tariff on trade with India, mentioning that this country buys Russian oil and weapons.
• India is confident that it will be able to meet its oil needs through alternative sources if supplies from Russia are affected by secondary sanctions.
• US-sanctioned tankers have begun to emerge in a complex maritime supply chain carrying Russian oil to India, which currently records record levels of imports of that oil.

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