India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say

India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite US President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian Government sources told Reuters on Saturday, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

On top of a new 25 per cent tariff on India's exports to the US, Trump indicated in a social media post last month that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday, Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia.

But the sources said there would be no immediate changes.

"These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight."