The unequal treatment reflects a confluence of cold political calculation, economic leverage, and the difference between how U.S. policymakers view India and China.
By: Dr. Jianli Yang
When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine on February 22, 2022, the world was confronted not only with a brutal war of aggression but also with a dramatic reshaping of global oil flows. As Washington and its allies implemented sweeping sanctions aimed at crippling Moscow’s war chest, two Asian economic powerhouses – India and China – emerged as vital lifelines for Russia’s energy exports. What happened next has become one of the more puzzling episodes in recent U.S. foreign policy: the Trump administration has sharply penalized India for its expanding purchases of Russian crude – culminating in a 50 percent tariff on select exports – while allowing China – an even greater consumer of that very oil – to escape similar direct punishment.
The disparity is so marked that it demands examination. It cannot be explained by reference to oil volumes alone, nor is it a simple matter of how international law is applied. Instead, it reflects a confluence of cold political calculation, relative economic leverage, and the subtle but consequential difference between how U.S. policymakers view India and China. What makes this story more complex still is the Trump administration’s belief – one that shapes much of its strategic posture – that China might play a decisive role in brokering an end to the Ukraine war.
India’s post-invasion pivot to Russian oil has been extraordinary in scale and speed. Before the war, Russian crude accounted for less than 2 percent of India’s oil imports. A year later, Russia was supplying nearly 40 percent, an all-time high that persisted into 2025. In absolute terms, India imported 88 million metric tonnes of Russian crude in fiscal year 2025, out of a total of 245 million tonnes – more than 1.7 million barrels per day, a 20-fold increase in just three years. Indian refiners, taking advantage of steep wartime discounts, adapted their facilities to handle this influx. Much of the oil was not only used domestically but refined into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for export around the world – including to Western markets that officially barred the purchase of Russian-origin oil.
Source: https://thediplomat.com/2025/08/why-is-the-us-punishing-india-but-not-china-for-buying-russian-oil/