US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him the country would stop buying oil from Russia.
Mr Trump said that India would resume buying Russian oil after the war in Ukraine ends.
"I was not happy that India was buying oil and he assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia," Mr Trump told journalists in the Oval Office. "That's a big step, now I've got to get China to do the same thing."
Mr Trump has repeatedly said that if the price of oil were to come down, Russia's President Vladimir Putin would drop out of the war.
The move would mark a significant turning point in US efforts at ending the war, and a significant sign to countries that still import Russian oil.
Mr Trump had previously refused to increase sanctions on Russia and expressed shock that European countries were still buying Russian oil.
The announcement comes as Mr Trump is due to host Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Friday.
Mr Trump has said that the Ukrainian leader wanted the US to supply his army with Tomahawk missiles, as well as other weapons.
The President, who took office in January, had earlier spoken of ending the war in one day.
But his efforts at ending the conflict that began after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 have stalled, despite his repeated threats.
And despite boasting of good relations with Mr Putin, Mr Trump has in recent weeks expressed frustration with the Russian leader.
He invited the Russian leader to a summit in Alaska in August, but it ended without a deal.
