‘Priority Is To Safeguard Indian Consumers’: Govt Reacts After Trump’s Russian Oil Claim

MEA clarifies India’s stand on import of Russian oil following Trump’s statement.(File image/Reuters)

Just hours after US President Donald Trump said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia, India clarified its stand, stating that “New Delhi’s consistent priority is to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer”.

“India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” MEA said.

Further elaborating on the twin goals of India’s energy policy, the government said that its priority is to ensure stable energy prices and secure supplies. “This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” the ministry add in its statement.

“Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade. The current Administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” it added.

The government’s statement came after the US President claimed that Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would stop buying oil from Russia. “He’s assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia. He can’t do it immediately. It’s a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over soon,” Trump said during a White House event.

Notably, Trump has recently targeted India over its purchases of Russian oil and imposed gigantic tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country’s crude buying as he seeks to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.

Russia is India’s top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels per day to India in September, roughly one-third of the country’s oil imports.

Russia After Trump’s India’s Oil Purchase Claim

Amid the ongoing debate over India’s purchase of Russian oil, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said that the strategic partnership between Moscow and New Delhi can be regarded as a stabilising force in global affairs. He added that India and Russia’s relationship is based on a solid foundation of trust and that the purchase of Russian oil is important for Indian economy.

“Our cooperation is very much in tune with those interests,” Alipov said, adding that Moscow’s supply of oil is beneficial for the Indian economy.