External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Thursday said that India’s decision to buy oil from Russia was not only in line with national interest but also aligned with what the United States had encouraged, stabilising the “world energy market".
“We are a country where the Americans have said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy market, including buying oil from Russia," Jaishankar said during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow.
He also pointed out that India’s oil imports from the United States have increased recently. “So honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument," he added, referring to claims that India is the largest buyer of Russian oil.
Jaishankar rejected such claims, noting that China, the European Union, and several other countries have stronger energy ties with Russia. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union," he said.
He further added, “We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South."
During the visit, Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to discuss bilateral relations and prepare for the annual India-Russia summit scheduled later this year. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, both sides will focus on current and future opportunities to strengthen cooperation.
Shortly after the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X, “Pleased to meet FM Sergey Lavrov today in Moscow. Had a detailed discussion on our bilateral ties, including trade, investment, energy, fertilizers, health, skilling & mobility, defense, and people to people exchanges. We exchanged views on Ukraine, Europe, Iran, West Asia, Afghanistan and the Indian sub-continent."
He added, “Also spoke about our cooperation in UN, G20, SCO and BRICS. Our meeting helped prepare the outcomes and decisions for the Annual Summit later this year."
Jaishankar’s visit comes amid tensions in India-US relations after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent, including an additional penalty of 25 per cent penalty for buying Russian crude oil.
