India reaffirms energy independence amid US sanctions on Russian oil firms

New Delhi: India on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to affordable and reliable energy, stating that oil import decisions will prioritise national interests over external pressures.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal addressed the recent US sanctions on Russia’s Rosneft and Lukoil, stating that India is evaluating their impact and remains engaged with Washington on broader trade matters.

“We are studying the implications of the recent US sanctions on Russian oil companies. Our decisions naturally take into account the evolving dynamics of the global market,” said the senior MEA official.

Further, India’s position on energy sourcing “is well known” and is dictated by the need to ensure affordable energy from diverse suppliers to meet the needs of 1.4 billion people.

He highlighted that recent months have seen global energy markets face sharp price changes and shifts, mainly due to rising tensions between major countries. Despite pressure from Western nations to reduce Russian imports, India has continued with a policy based on practical economic needs, emphasising the importance of accessing affordable oil to support the growth of the world’s third-largest energy user.

Reports say Indian refiners—who import nearly 85 per cent of the country’s crude oil—have temporarily stopped new purchases from Russian exporters after the sanctions, so they can check for any legal or trade risks.

HMEL runs the Bhatinda refinery in Punjab, processing nine million tonnes a year, and was the first Indian company to publicly confirm it has paused Russian crude purchases after the US sanctions. Indian officials clarified that while sanctioned Russian firms cannot be dealt with, refined products made from Russian crude by companies not under sanctions can still be traded.

The comments by the MEA also represented a response to recent remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had said that India had “more or less stopped” buying oil from Russia under U.S. pressure and credited his own trade threats with “stopping India and Pakistan from going to war.”

Indian officials declined to respond directly to these comments, but repeated instead that New Delhi’s engagement with both Washington and Moscow remains independent and issue-based.

“We continue to remain engaged with the U.S. side on trade-related discussions,” Jaiswal said, adding that the negotiations on tariffs are handled by the Ministry of Commerce. India currently faces an average tariff of around 15 per cent on its exports to the U.S., one of the highest globally.

In a broader geopolitical context, the MEA official underscored that India’s foreign policy remains rooted in strategic autonomy. “Our decisions are guided by our national interests and by what best serves our people,” he said.

He also commented on other regional issues, including Pakistan’s growing tensions with Afghanistan. He noted that “Pakistan seems to think it has the right to practice

cross-border terrorism with impunity,” while reiterating that India remains committed to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence.

On the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), Jaiswal termed the grouping a “valuable forum for discussion on shared interests,” and said any leaders’ summit among India, the U.S., Japan and Australia would be scheduled through diplomatic consultations.