India became a major buyer of Russian crude that was heavily discounted after the invasion of Ukraine, which became a point of contention with the Trump administration. India has separately told its energy importers to get ready to resume purchases of Russian LNG, one of the people said. The Russian energy ministry declined to comment about any discussions with India, while the US Treasury Department did not address questions about sanctions relief. Tehran's retaliation included targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively shutting down the narrow strip through which about half of India's crude oil and LNG supplies pass. Demand for Russian energy exports, which when transported to Asian customers avoid the Gulf, has sharply increased across the region's economies.

Source: The Telegraph March 27, 2026 08:42 UTC