Helsinki : Finland has come out in support of India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, with Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen saying New Delhi’s imports were made under the international price cap mechanism and did not violate Western sanctions.
The remarks came as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar defended India’s energy strategy during talks in Finland, arguing that the country had little choice but to buy affordable oil when global markets were thrown into turmoil after the Russia Ukraine war.
“Countries buy energy based on availability and price,” Jaishankar said, stressing that India’s priority was ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people.
India became one of the biggest buyers of discounted Russian crude after 2022, a move that drew criticism from some Western leaders. However, Valtonen noted that the sanctions framework never completely banned such purchases if they complied with the agreed price cap.
Jaishankar also took aim at what he called Western double standards, questioning why India faces scrutiny over oil imports while some European countries have supplied weapons to nations hostile to India.
The exchange marks a rare public endorsement from a European minister and strengthens India’s long standing argument that its Russian oil purchases were both legal and necessary for economic stability.