According to Bloomberg, India has decreased its imports of Russian crude oil for deliveries in December, reflecting the growing impact of Western sanctions and ongoing trade talks with the United States.
For the upcoming month, five of India's largest refiners have not placed any orders for Russian oil. These agreements are typically completed by the tenth of every month. For the third-largest oil importer in the world, which has recently relied largely on cheap Russian oil, the decision represents a big shift.

US sanctions and tariffs alter consumer behaviour
Following a number of US actions that have altered international trade patterns, Russian oil orders have slowed.US President Donald Trump imposed penalties on Russia's two biggest oil companies, Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, in October after raising tariffs on all Indian imports to 50% in August.
Washington has accused New Delhi of indirectly funding Russia's war in Ukraine through its imports of Russian oil, which has heightened scrutiny of India's energy trade.
Large refiners withhold
According to Kpler data, nearly two-thirds of India's Russian crude imports thus far this year come from the refiners holding back orders, which include Reliance Industries Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd., Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd.

Their prudence is also consistent with the current trade negotiations between the United States and India. Earlier this week, Trump declared that an agreement between the two countries was "pretty close." India reportedly agreed to raise its crude purchases from the United States as part of those negotiations.
There are just two active buyers.
As of right now, only Nayara Energy Ltd. and Indian Oil Corp. (IOC) have secured Russian crude for December. While Nayara, which is partially owned by Rosneft, still relies solely on Russian exports, IOC has been purchasing from non-sanctioned suppliers.
Russian petroleum from unapproved vendors is being sold by traders for $3 to $4 less per barrel.However, complicated due-diligence rules designed to make sure that sanctioned firms are not involved in the supply chain continue to make Indian refiners wary, according to Bloomberg.
Turning to other sources: Approximately 36% of India's crude imports this year came from Russia, but refiners are already searching for alternatives because a global oil glut is anticipated in the near future.
Hindustan Petroleum bought 4 million barrels of US and West Asian grades for January, while IOC recently requested bids to purchase up to 24 million barrels from the Americas for delivery between January and March.
Additionally, traditional Persian Gulf suppliers have been contacted by Indian state-owned refiners.

On the fringes of an energy conference in Abu Dhabi last week, executives from Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) met with Indian authorities and promised ongoing supply, according to Bloomberg.
India has reduced its imports of Russian oil, according to Trump.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his assertion that India had essentially stopped importing Russian oil and hinted that tariffs on Indian imports may soon be lowered.
Trump responded, "Well, right now, the tariffs are very high on India because of the Russian oil, and they've stopped doing the Russian oil," when questioned about the status of a trade agreement with India and the potential to lower tariffs. It has significantly decreased.

Yes, we will be lowering the tariffs. We will eventually be taking them down.
Trump has stated on several occasions in recent weeks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to reduce his purchases of petroleum from Russia. Additionally, he has expressed optimism regarding the current trade negotiations between the two nations.
Trump stated last week that "he stopped buying oil from Russia largely, and they (trade talks with India) are going good." I spoke to a friend of mine, and he encourages me to go there. I'll go, and we'll work that out.