New Delhi : A day after reports claimed that state-run Indian oil companies halted crude purchases from Russia, government sources dismissed the claims, reaffirming that India’s energy imports are driven by market forces and national interest. The remark came as US President Donald Trump welcomed the reports of the halt in Russian oil purchases, calling it a “good step”.
The government’s position was made clear yesterday (Friday) that the country’s energy purchases were driven by market forces and national interests and that they had no reports of Indian oil firms halting Russian imports,” sources said. On Friday, in response to a question on India’s energy needs amid the evolving global dynamics and threats from US President Donald Trump, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randeep Jaiswal said that India’s position on the matter remains clear and is guided by market dynamics and national interest.
India is the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian crude and the report said the country’s state refiners — Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum, Bharat Petroleum and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd — have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so. This came as the US exerted geopolitical pressure on countries continuing to purchase Russian oil.
The government has defended New Delhi’s long-standing ties with Moscow, describing it as a ‘time-tested partnership,’ while also reaffirming the strength of the India-US relationship. India and Russia share a steady and time-tested partnership,” said Jaiswal, and expressed confidence that bilateral relations with the US would continue to move forward despite current tensions.
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