In Phone Call with Modi, Zelenskyy Presses India on Russian Oil, Calls for Support to Keep Ukraine in Talks

New Delhi: Even as India faces the prospects of steep tariffs for buying Russian oil, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday (August 11) that he had discussed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the need to limit the export of Russian energy to curb Moscow’s ability to finance the ongoing conflict.

In a statement on X after their phone call, Zelenskyy said he had informed Modi about recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including a strike on a bus station in Zaporizhzhia that injured dozens of civilians. 

“It is necessary to limit the export of Russian energy, particularly oil, to reduce its potential and ability to finance the continuation of this war,” he wrote, adding that leaders with leverage over Moscow should send “corresponding signals.”

The conversation took place days before a planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday. India has welcomed the summit as offering “the promise of bringing to an end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.”

Kyiv, however, has voiced unease at being excluded from the talks. “It is important that India is supporting our peace efforts and shares the position that everything concerning Ukraine must be decided with Ukraine’s participation. Other formats will not deliver results,” Zelenskyy wrote.

The call also came against the backdrop of trade tensions between India and the United States. On August 6, Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods over its purchase of Russian oil, doubling the overall tariff to around 50%, the steepest rate faced by any US trading partner along with Brazil. India had termed the tariffs as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi “reaffirmed India’s steadfast and consistent position for peaceful settlement of the conflict” and reiterated the country’s “commitment to extend all possible support in this regard”.

The MEA readout said the leaders reviewed bilateral ties and agreed to remain in touch, but made no reference to the issue of Russian energy purchases as mentioned by Zelenskyy.

Since the Ukraine invasion, India has become one of Russia’s largest energy buyers. According to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), between December 2022 and June 2025 India bought about 38% of Russia’s seaborne crude oil exports and 19% of its coal exports. In the same period, China accounted for roughly 47% of Russia’s crude oil shipments and 44% of its coal exports.

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