Amid claims by US President Donald Trump that India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday asserted that safeguarding the energy needs of India’s 1.4 billion people remains the government’s top priority, particularly in the current global energy landscape.
“In so far as India’s energy security or sourcing is concerned, the government has publicly stated on several occasions, including me here, that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion is the supreme priority of the government,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a press briefing.
He added that India’s approach is guided by market realities and evolving international dynamics. “Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India’s decisions are taken and will be taken with this in mind,” Jaiswal said.
Trump Claims India To Halt Russian Oil Purchases
Following the announcement of the India-US trade deal, President Trump claimed that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and instead increase purchases from the United States and potentially Venezuela.
“We spoke about many things including Trade, and ending the War with Russia and Ukraine. India agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela. This will help THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social earlier this week.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi later confirmed the trade deal, there was no mention of any commitment to halt Russian oil imports.
India Open To Venezuelan Oil, Says MEA
Clarifying India’s position, Jaiswal said New Delhi remains open to sourcing oil from Venezuela, subject to commercial considerations.
“India’s stand is clear. We have long-standing partnership with Venezuela. And we remain open to buying oil from Venezuela or other places depending on its commercial viability,” he said.
Russia Says No Communication From India
Reacting to Trump’s remarks, Russia said it has not received any communication from India regarding halting oil purchases.
“So far, we haven’t heard any statements from New Delhi on this matter,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing.
Emphasising bilateral ties, Peskov added, “We respect bilateral US-Indian relations. But we attach no less importance to the development of an advanced strategic partnership between Russia and India. This is the most important thing for us, and we intend to further develop our bilateral relations with Delhi.”
India-US Trade Deal Nears Finalisation
The India-US trade deal was announced earlier this week by President Trump and later confirmed by Prime Minister Modi. The agreement led to a reduction in tariffs on Indian goods from 50 per cent to 18 per cent.
Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Tuesday that the final agreement is in its last stages. Echoing this, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the deal is “still being papered.” A joint statement outlining the details of the agreement is expected to be released later.