India emerges as Ukraine’s top diesel supplier despite US tariffs on Russian crude

India has become Ukraine’s largest diesel supplier, accounting for 15.5 per cent of imports in July 2025, despite new US tariffs on Russian crude-linked trade. Deliveries rose via Romania and Turkey, deepening tensions with Washington but stabilising global oil markets

New Delhi: India has become Ukraine’s largest diesel supplier, despite facing a 50 per cent tariff from the US, according to a report on Saturday. The report comes as the US alleges that India is indirectly supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine by buying Russian crude.

As per the Ukrainian oil market analytics firm NaftoRynok, India supplied 15.5 per cent of Ukraine’s total diesel imports in July 2025, the highest share from any country. July saw daily deliveries average 2,700 tonnes, marking it as one of India’s strongest export months this year.

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From January to July in 2025, India’s share of Ukraine’s diesel supply increased to 10.2 per cent, up from 1.9 per cent in the same period of 2024. Much of the fuel reportedly reached Ukraine through tanker shipments via the Danube from Romania and through the Opet terminal in Turkey.

Other significant suppliers in July included Slovakia (15 per cent), Greece (13.5 per cent), Turkey (12.4 per cent), and Lithuania (11.4 per cent), the report said. Analysts, cited by the Ukrainian research firm, noted that a portion of these exports could include diesel refined from Russian-origin crude, though official data remains undisclosed.

The development comes at a time of intensifying trade tensions between India and the US. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that imposed 50 per cent tariffs effective since August 27, citing ongoing purchases of discounted Russian crude and labelled both India and Russia as ‘dead economies.’

Meanwhile, the government has labelled the tariffs as ‘unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,’ vowing to take necessary steps to protect its economic interests. Experts noted that Russia supplies nearly 10 per cent of world oil, and if India stopped buying, crude could hit $200 a barrel. According to them, by keeping oil flowing, India is stabilising markets and helping global citizens.