Russia envoy: India buys oil for itself, not to help us — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Denis Alipov, Russia's Ambassador to India, told DD News that India buys Russian oil for its own national development and welfare, not to help Moscow, and said Russia is prepared to supply "as much oil as India needs."
- Alipov criticized Western sanctions and tariffs as "pressure tactics instead of honest cooperation," arguing that no country has offered India a better oil deal, and noted India has previously shown it can "stand its ground" against external pressure.
- A proposed US Senate bill would authorize tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil or natural gas, putting India — currently among the biggest purchasers of Russian crude — directly in the crosshairs.
- Russia remained India's largest crude oil supplier in August at approximately 2.08 million barrels per day, down 26.3% from July's record 2.82 million bpd, though Russian oil still accounted for about 45% of India's total crude imports.
- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, said India's Russian oil purchases will not determine the outcome of the Ukraine war, which "will be solved by dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation."
Why it matters: Indian crude imports from Russia hit 2.08 million bpd in August — 45% of its total — even as a US Senate bill proposes 100% tariffs on the top five buyers of Russian energy. New Delhi's energy affordability is now in direct tension with Washington's secondary-sanctions pressure.
Ask SkimNews
