Defending India’s energy ties with Russia amid rising scrutiny from the United States, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Thursday strongly rejected the narrative that India is a major contributor to Moscow’s oil revenues, calling the criticism both unfair and illogical.

Addressing the media during his visit to Moscow, Jaishankar said, “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…”

His remarks come as Washington has stepped up pressure on New Delhi, warning of potential sanctions over India’s continued purchase of Russian crude. India, however, maintains that its actions are based on national interest and global energy stability.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow to review bilateral relations against the backdrop of US threats of sanctions over India-Russia energy trade. 

During the meeting, External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar highlighted that the meeting provided India and Russia with an opportunity to discuss their political relations and bilateral ties. The Russian Foreign Minister highlighted the relationship between New Delhi and Moscow, stating that both countries fully justify the strategic and privileged partnership. 

Lavrov’s statement came as Jaishankar travelled to Russia this week to co-chair a meeting of a key bilateral body that oversees trade and economic relations.

EAM Dr S Jaishankar said, “Today’s meeting gives an occasion to discuss our political relations as well and also our bilateral ties. ..We now prepare for the annual summit at the end of the year. Our leaders have always given us guidance to take forward our special strategic relationship….”

“We discussed a lot of issues in our bilateral cooperation and found a lot of solutions as well. I want to take bilateral discussions forward so that we have the maximum outcomes when we have the annual summit…The global context for our meeting is provided by the evolving geopolitical situation, shifting economic trade landscape, and our shared goal is to maximise our complementarity…” EAM added.

Amid escalating tensions between New Delhi and Washington over trade disagreements and the Trump administration’s sharp objections to India’s continued defence and energy collaboration with Moscow, senior Indian and Russian officials held high-level discussions in the Russian capital.

During a meeting with Russia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on Wednesday, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called for a forward-thinking and adaptive approach to navigate today’s geopolitical complexities. Emphasising the need for innovation in bilateral ties, he said, “India and Russia should come out with a creative and innovative approach to confront complex geopolitical challenges.”

In his opening remarks, broadcast live, Jaishankar underscored the importance of broadening the bilateral agenda through economic and industrial cooperation. He urged both nations to seek fresh avenues for growth, including expanding the trade basket and boosting joint ventures. “Doing more and doing differently should be our mantras,” he stated.

These remarks were made against the backdrop of a recent strain in India-US relations, after President Donald Trump imposed steep tariff hikes on Indian exports, raising them to 50 per cent, and introduced an additional 25 per cent duty in response to India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil.

Jaishankar arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a three-day official visit, aimed at reinforcing strategic ties with a long-standing partner amid global realignments.