External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday criticised the United States’ move to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods over Russian oil imports, pointing out that other countries are far larger buyers of Moscow’s energy. Responding to queries at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Jaishankar stressed that India is being unfairly singled out.
“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. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South. 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. Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased. So honestly, we are very perplexed at the logic of the argument that you (the media) had referred to…” Jaishankar said, as per news agency ANI.
Moscow | During a press briefing, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar says, “…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. We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge… pic.twitter.com/pbH06HtTwK
— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025
US President Donald Trump in July announced a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, at a time when an interim trade agreement between New Delhi and Washington was being discussed. Days later, the tariff burden was doubled to 50 per cent, with the White House citing India’s continued energy trade with Russia as justification.
India’s Energy and Trade Ties with Russia
Underscoring the importance of sustained cooperation, Jaishankar said energy partnerships with Russia remain significant through both trade and investments. He also highlighted the need to narrow the trade gap.
“We reaffirmed our shared ambition to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and sustainable manner, including by increasing India’s exports to Russia. This requires swiftly addressing non-tariff barriers and regulatory impediments, enhancing India’s exports to Russia in sectors like agriculture, pharma, and textiles will certainly help correct the imbalance,” he said.
Jaishankar, Lavrov Discuss Ukraine, West Asia, Afghanistan
The two foreign ministers also reviewed pressing regional issues. “On regional issues, we discussed developments in Ukraine, West Asia, the Middle East and Afghanistan. India’s approach continues to emphasise dialogue and diplomacy as essential to resolving differences,” Jaishankar stated.
He further underlined that defence and security cooperation remains strong, with Russia backing India’s Make in India initiatives through joint production and technology transfer.
On the humanitarian front, Jaishankar also raised concerns about Indian nationals reportedly serving in the Russian Army. “While many have been released, there are still some pending cases, with some missing persons. We hope that the Russian side will expeditiously resolve this,” he added.
The External Affairs Minister is on a three-day trip to Moscow, where he co-chaired the 26th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) and addressed the India-Russia Business Forum.
