Russia has openly come out in India’s support amid the ongoing tariff row. Reacting to the US tariffs on New Delhi, Roman Babushkin, Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in India, termed the move ‘unjustified and unilateral’. He also said that if Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, then the Russian market is open for Indian exports.
“If Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, the Russian market is welcoming Indian exports,” said Babushkin. Roman Babushkin hit out at Washington’s tariff decision and the pressure on New Delhi over Russian crude oil purchase, saying the moves were ‘unjustified and unilateral’.
‘Putin-Trump Meet Paused Additional US Tariffs’
On secondary sanctions by the US on India, Babushkin said, “The positive outcomes of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the US last week are that, according to reports, President Donald Trump has decided not to impose additional tariffs on India. Whatever happens globally, we are capable of resolving them for the mutual satisfaction with India, and we will continue our partnership despite external threats.”
India-Russia Ties Expanding
Roman Babushkin also stated that India-Russia relations are expanding and uninterrupted. “The engagements, including the current visit of EAM Dr S Jaishankar to Moscow and his engagements there, are setting the stage for the future visit of President Putin to India by the end of this year,” he said.
The Russian official also said that if the West criticises any country, that means the nation in question is doing everything correctly. “If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right…We know about the challenging circumstances for India. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying. Whatever happens, even during challenges, we are committed to removing any problems,” he said.
India-Russia Trade
He said that Russia and India are capable of finding any solution for mutual satisfaction. “We have seen this problem of sanctions for many years now, but our trade is growing. In recent years, our trade has grown by 7 times…,” he said.
On the US urging India to reduce Russian oil imports, he said, “Russia is the largest producer of oil and India is the largest consumer. Any kind of unilateral action leads to disruptions in supply chains, an imbalance in pricing policies, and the destabilization of global markets, endangering the energy security of developing countries. Hypothetically, if India refuses Russian oil, it will not lead to equal cooperation with the West in general because it is not in the Western nature, which was clearly demonstrated in recent years. They behave like neocolonial powers that think of their own benefit. This pressure is unjustified and unilateral.”
