The trader stands ready to guard against the risk of India stopping the purchase of Russian oil, expecting a change in the supply pattern and international oil prices to remain stable.

International oil prices held steady on Thursday as market traders prepared for the potential impact of India possibly halting imports of Russian oil, which could boost demand for supplies from other regions. At the time of writing, Brent crude futures rose $0.36 to $62.25 per barrel, up 0.58%; U.S. WTI crude futures rose $0.36 to $58.63 per barrel, up 0.60%. Earlier, due to tensions in U.S.-China trade relations, both contracts had stabilized after hitting their lowest levels since early May in the previous trading day. U.S. President Trump said Indian Prime Minister Modi pledged on Wednesday to stop importing oil from Russia. Currently, Russia is India's largest oil supplier, accounting for about one-third of its total oil imports. Three sources revealed that some Indian oil refiners are preparing to gradually reduce imports of Russian oil. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore believes that if India stops importing, Russia will lose a major buyer, which would be a positive support for oil prices. However, Indian officials reiterated on Thursday that their two core goals are to ensure stable energy prices and supply security, without mentioning Trump's comments; while Russia expressed confidence in the future of energy cooperation with India. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones continue to attack Russian refineries, hindering the supply of Russian petroleum products. Russian Energy Minister said on Wednesday that due to a nighttime attack on the Saratov refinery in Ukraine, Russia will delay some refinery maintenance plans to ensure market supply. PVM analyst Tamas Varga said, "A sharp drop in Russian crude oil and petroleum product supplies should provide a floor for the market - Brent crude's low point of $58.40 per barrel reached in April may be difficult to break." U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besent also stated on Wednesday that he informed Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy; Japan is not a major importer of Russian crude oil. In addition, the British government announced new sanctions on Wednesday targeting the Russian oil company Rosneft and Lukoil - the two largest energy companies in the world. The sanctioned entities also include four oil terminals, 44 "shadow fleet" tankers transporting Russian oil, and the Nayara Energy Limited refinery owned by Russia in India.