India said on Thursday that its energy priority was the interest of its citizens, after US President Donald Trump said New Delhi had promised to stop buying Russian oil.
New Delhi neither confirmed nor denied that it was changing its policy toward Russia.
“Our constant priority has been to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario,” Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement.
“Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier defended the purchase of oil from Russia, a long-standing partner of India, despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
In August, Trump raised tariffs on Indian exports to the United States to 50 percent, and Trump’s advisers accused India of fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Ensuring stable power prices and secure supplies have been the two objectives of our energy policy,” Jaiswal added. “This includes expanding our energy supply and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Modi, saying he was “scared” of Trump and allowing the US president to “decide and announce” that India will not buy Russian oil. The Congress Party chief also said that Modi continues to send congratulatory messages despite repeated snubs.
India, one of the world’s largest crude oil importers, depends on foreign suppliers for more than 85 percent of its oil needs.
New Delhi was traditionally dependent on Middle Eastern nations.
But since 2022, it has shifted sharply toward discounted Russian crude, taking advantage of a buyer’s market created by Western bans on Moscow’s exports.
“As far as the United States is concerned, for many years we have sought to expand our energy procurement,” Jaiswal said.
“This has progressed steadily over the past decade. The current administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing.”
