US President Donald Trump’s latest trip to Asia has placed the world’s energy and trade dynamics under a harsh spotlight, with his administration’s sanctions on Russia’s oil sector and his claims about China and India’s shifting energy policies dominating headlines. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on October 25, 2025, as he departed for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, Trump revealed that he might raise the issue of declining Chinese purchases of Russian oil in his highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"I may be discussing it, but you know China’s — you probably saw today — China is cutting back very substantially on the purchase of Russian oil, and India is cutting back completely, and we’ve done sanctions," Trump told reporters, according to Bloomberg. His remarks came on the heels of the US blacklisting Rosneft PJSC and Lukoil PJSC, two of Russia’s largest energy firms, marking the first major American sanctions on Russia’s petroleum industry since the war in Ukraine entered its fourth year.
The sanctions, announced on October 22, 2025, were part of a broader US effort to squeeze Russia’s revenues as its invasion of Ukraine drags on. The White House also warned foreign financial institutions that they risk exclusion from the US financial system if they continue dealings with the sanctioned Russian entities. Trump’s administration has made it clear: the stakes are high, and the consequences for noncompliance could be severe.
According to The Times of India, Trump doubled down on his claim that India is "cutting back completely" on Russian oil imports, a statement he has repeated several times this year. He even asserted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him of this shift, particularly after the US imposed additional tariffs on Indian imports over Russia-related energy trade. "India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop... It’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing," Trump previously stated.
However, Indian officials have consistently pushed back against these assertions, maintaining that the country’s energy decisions are driven by national interests. While Trump’s statements have made waves in diplomatic circles, India has yet to confirm any official policy change regarding its Russian oil imports, underscoring the complex interplay between public posturing and behind-the-scenes negotiation.
On the Chinese side, there is evidence that state-owned companies have recently canceled some purchases of Russian seaborne crude. Bloomberg reported that firms like Sinopec have pulled back following the US blacklisting of Rosneft and Lukoil, lending some credence to Trump’s claim that China is "cutting back very substantially" on Russian oil. Still, the full extent and permanence of this shift remain to be seen—energy markets are notoriously volatile, and geopolitical winds can change direction in a flash.
Trump’s Asia trip is about much more than oil. The US-China standoff over trade, technology, and raw material restrictions has ratcheted up tensions, making the upcoming summit with Xi Jinping a high-stakes affair. Ahead of their planned meeting, US and Chinese negotiators gathered in Kuala Lumpur for trade talks described by a US Treasury spokesperson as "very constructive." The American delegation, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and the Chinese team, headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, are set to resume discussions on October 26, 2025.
"We’ll be talking about a lot of things. I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal," Trump said, expressing hope that his face-to-face with Xi would produce what he called a "complete deal." This marks the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, though they have spoken at least three times this year already.
Trade isn’t the only item on the agenda. Trump has signaled that agriculture and fentanyl trafficking will feature prominently in his talks with Xi. "We’re going to be talking about fentanyl. It is killing a lot of people… it comes from China," he stated, adding, "I want our farmers to be taken care of, and he wants things also." The US is pressing China to do more to curb the export of components used in the deadly synthetic opioid’s production, which has fueled a public health crisis back home.
Trump’s approach to direct diplomacy is, as ever, hands-on. He has repeatedly emphasized that only at the highest level—leader to leader—can the thorniest issues be resolved, from tariffs and export restrictions to agricultural imports and geopolitical flashpoints like Taiwan and Ukraine. "Direct dialogue between leaders is the best way to resolve longstanding issues," Trump told reporters, according to Bloomberg.
Yet, not all of Trump’s recent diplomatic efforts have borne fruit. He expressed disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s conduct of the war in Ukraine and voiced uncertainty about Russia’s willingness to work with him to end the conflict. "I’m not going to be wasting my time," Trump said, referencing his decision to cancel a planned meeting with Putin in Hungary. "I’ve always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this has been very disappointing."
As the US and its allies seek to tighten the noose on Russia’s war machine, the effectiveness of sanctions—especially those targeting the petroleum sector—will hinge on the willingness of major buyers like China and India to play ball. While Trump’s rhetoric suggests progress, the reality is more complicated. India’s denials and China’s partial pullback underscore the challenges of aligning diverse national interests in the face of global crises.
The outcome of the upcoming Trump-Xi summit could shape not only the immediate trajectory of US-China relations but also the global response to Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine. With the world watching, the stakes have rarely been higher. As Trump himself put it, "I think we have a really good chance of making a very comprehensive deal." Whether that optimism proves justified remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the decisions made in Gyeongju this week will echo far beyond the conference rooms of the APEC summit.
In the shifting landscape of global power and energy, every move matters—and every word is scrutinized. As leaders gather and negotiators haggle, the world waits to see whether the promises and threats exchanged in Asia will translate into lasting change or simply more headlines.