The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed claims about strained India-Russia ties on Friday — hours after US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariff against the country. The POTUS has repeatedly criticised New Delhi for purchasing oil from Moscow and previously threatened to impose ‘penalties’ against the other country.
‘Time-tested India-Russia partnership’
“Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
Recent reports had suggested that some Indian companies had stopped taking oil from Russia following the ‘penalty’ threat from Trump. Jaiswal however reiterated ongoing policies and “broad approach to energy sourcing requirements” — noting that India “looked at what is available in the market and the prevailing global situation”. The MEA had previously insisted that securing energy needs was an “overriding priority” for the country and cautioned against “double standards”.
The US president mounted a sharp attack against India this week — calling New Delhi and Moscow “dead economies”.
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” he wrote on Truth Social.
‘India-US ties have weathered challenges, but…’
The MEA also reiterated India’s commitment towards a partnership with the US. According to a Bloomberg report, India expects US trade negotiators to visit the country on August 25 to continue discussions for a bilateral deal. New Delhi will reportedly hold its ground on denying access to the dairy and agriculture sectors.
“India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward,” Jaiswal said.
(With inputs from agencies)