Key Points:
- India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has strongly rejected criticism from the US and EU over its Russian oil imports, calling the statements “unjustified and unreasonable.”
- New Delhi accused the critics of double standards, sharing data showing that EU and US economic ties with Russia far surpass India’s.
- India began large-scale Russian oil imports because traditional suppliers shifted to Europe after the Ukraine war, with even the US encouraging such purchases to stabilize global markets.
- The EU and US continue significant trade with Russia across energy, chemicals, metals, and machinery, even as they criticize India.
- India reiterated its right to safeguard national economic interests and ensure affordable, stable energy for its citizens.
New Delhi: India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a robust rebuttal to mounting criticism from the US and European Union regarding its procurement of oil from Russia especially after US President Donald Trump’s latest threats of higher tariffs against New Delhi. In a pointed statement, the MEA termed this criticism “unjustified and unreasonable,” and accused Western nations of hypocrisy and double standards.
According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, India’s oil imports from Russia were a strategic necessity prompted by the global energy reshuffle after the Ukraine conflict. Traditional energy suppliers redirected their exports to Europe, forcing India to look elsewhere. “India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation,” the MEA clarified.
The spokesperson also emphasized that, at the war’s outset, the United States encouraged India to purchase Russian oil, aiding global energy market stability as Europe sought extra supplies. India now imports around 35–40% of its oil from Russia, a massive shift from just 3% before the Ukraine war.
“Double Standards” Western Trade With Russia Continues
India highlighted the fact that the countries now criticizing it namely the US and EU continue robust trade with Russia. Recent data revealed:
- EU-Russia Trade: The EU’s bilateral trade in goods with Russia totaled €67.5 billion in 2024, while EU-Russia services trade reached €17.2 billion in 2023. The EU’s LNG imports from Russia set a new record of 16.5 million tonnes in 2024, compared to 15.21 million tonnes in 2022.
- US-Russia Trade: The US imported $3.27 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2024 including uranium for nuclear power, palladium for the EV industry, fertilizers, and key chemicals.
- Comparative Scale: Both categories dwarf India’s total trade volume with Russia.
These economic ties involve not just energy, but a spectrum of other goods: fertilizers, chemicals, mining products, iron and steel, machinery, and transport equipment. In contrast, India’s oil imports from Russia are a direct result of rerouted global supplies and a pressing national need.
India Asserts National Interest
The MEA underscored that India, as an emerging major economy, will always pursue policies that secure its national interests and economic security: “Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the ministry concluded.
In summary, India has not only rejected Western criticism as unfair but also exposed the ongoing and significant economic engagements of its critics with Russia decisively rebutting any notion of double standards in its energy policy.
