India has scaled back purchases of Russian crude oil scheduled for December arrival, indicating that Western sanctions and trade negotiations with the U.S. are significantly influencing its procurement patterns.

Sources familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the transactions, revealed that five major Indian refineries have yet to place orders for Russian crude for the next month. Typically, transactions for the following month's crude supply are finalized by the 10th of the current month.

According to Kpler data, these five refineries—Reliance Industries Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corp., Hindustan Petroleum Corp., Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., and HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd.—account for two-thirds of India's Russian oil imports this year.

The caution exercised by these companies may be linked to ongoing trade talks between New Delhi and Washington. Former U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Monday that the two nations are close to reaching a trade agreement. Sources indicate that India has pledged to increase crude purchases from the U.S. as part of the negotiations.

Only two refiners—Indian Oil Corp. and Nayara Energy Ltd.—have purchased some Russian crude for December arrival. Indian Oil Corp. sourced its crude from unsanctioned sellers, while Nayara Energy, partially owned by Russia's Rosneft, remains fully dependent on Russian crude supplies.