Russia’s Ambassador to India Denis Alipov on Thursday defended his country’s energy partnership with New Delhi after US President Donald Trump claimed that PM Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop purchasing crude oil from Moscow. Alipov said the partnership between the two aligns squarely with India’s national interests and benefits both countries.
When asked about Trump’s statement, Alipov told the press, “This is a question for the Indian government to answer.” “The Indian government is dealing with the matter having in mind the national interests of this country in the first place. Our cooperation in the energy sector is very much in tune with those interests,” he added.
Responding to Trump’s remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs said the country was “broad-basing and diversifying” its energy imports to meet domestic market conditions and ensure consumer welfare.
“It has been India’s consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. “Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions,” New Delhi said in a statement.
India has continued to buy Russian petroleum products despite Western sanctions following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In Washington, President Trump told reporters that Modi had assured him of a gradual phase-out of Russian crude imports. “He has assured me there will be no oil purchases from Russia. It can’t happen immediately—it’s a process, but it’s going to be over soon,” Trump said.