India has suggested it will continue purchasing oil from Russia despite US President Donald Trump’s threats to hit Delhi with new tariffs over the imports.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told media professionals on Friday that India’s energy decisions were based on market availability and global conditions, adding that ties with Moscow were “steady and time-tested” and should not be seen through the prism of a third country.
Mr Trump said earlier this week that he plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods along with an additional import tax in response to Delhi’s continued buying of Russian crude. The US president has stepped up warnings against nations doing business with Moscow as Washington seeks leverage over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
India bought about 68,000 barrels of crude oil a day from Russia in January 2022, but this rose to 1.12 million barrels per day by June that year, peaking at 2.15 million barrels a day in May 2023, according to data from analytics firm Kpler cited by Press Trust of India. Russian supplies at one point made up nearly 40 per cent of India’s total oil imports, making Moscow its biggest crude supplier
