'US Asked India To...': In Moscow, Jaishankar Defends Russian Oil Purchase Amid Trump Tariffs

Last Updated:August 21, 2025, 16:38 IST

He also stated that India also purchases oil from the US, and those imports have gone up in recent years

Jaishankar hails PM Modi's speech (PTI Image)

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on Thursday said that India’s decision to buy oil from Russia was not only in line with national interest but also aligned with what the United States had encouraged, stabilising the “world energy market".

“We are a country where the Americans have said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilise the world energy market, including buying oil from Russia," Jaishankar said during a press briefing in Moscow.

He also stated that India also purchases oil from the US, and those imports have gone up in recent years. “Incidentally, we also buy oil from the US, and that amount has increased."

Jaishankar also pointed out that China, the European Union, and several other countries have stronger energy ties with Moscow than India does. “We are not the biggest purchasers of Russian oil, that is China. We are not the biggest purchasers of LNG, that is the European Union," he said.

The foreign minister further added, “We are not the country which has the biggest trade surge with Russia after 2022; I think there are some countries to the South."

Moscow, Russia

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