New Delhi, February 5 — The Ministry of External Affairs has rejected claims that India agreed to stop buying Russian oil, saying the government’s priority is securing energy supplies for 1.4 billion people amid shifting global markets.
At a New Delhi press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stressed that India’s energy decisions are driven by national interest. He said the government has repeatedly stated that ensuring energy security for India’s population is its “supreme priority.”
Jaiswal added that New Delhi’s strategy focuses on diversifying energy sources in accordance with objective market conditions and evolving international developments. He said all energy-related choices are taken with that priority in mind.
The clarification came after US President Donald Trump, following announcement of an India–US trade deal, posted that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and would instead increase purchases from the United States and potentially Venezuela. Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the trade deal, but no official statement was issued saying India would end Russian oil imports.
On the possibility of buying oil from Venezuela, Jaiswal said India maintains a long-standing partnership with Venezuela and remains open to purchasing Venezuelan crude if it is commercially viable.
The announced India–US trade agreement is reported to reduce tariffs on Indian goods from 50 percent to 18 percent. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the final deal is in its last stages; US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer described the arrangement as “still being papered.” A joint statement elaborating the terms is expected.
Russia also weighed in, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova saying there is no reason to expect India will change its energy cooperation with Russia. Zakharova emphasized that resource trade is mutually beneficial and contributes to international energy-market stability. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that Russia is not India’s only supplier and that India has long sourced petroleum products from multiple countries, calling the situation unremarkable.
Goyal reiterated the government’s position on energy security and the need to diversify supplies based on market and international factors.
These exchanges coincided with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s visit to the United States for the Critical Minerals Ministerial, reportedly hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jaishankar said the meetings reviewed bilateral cooperation and covered issues including the Indo-Pacific, West Asia, and Ukraine. He described the talks as a thorough review of the India–US relationship and a broad discussion of global developments. At the ministerial, Jaishankar expressed India’s support for the FORGE (Forum on Resource, Geostrategic Engagement) initiative.
(ANI)
