Russian Oil Imports: In a strong rebuttal to Western criticism, Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami has defended India’s continued oil imports from Russia, arguing that national economic stability cannot be compromised due to geopolitical pressure. Speaking to Times Radio in an interview last week, Doraiswami questioned the logic of expecting India to halt energy trade with Russia while many European nations continue to engage in similar economic transactions.
“Do we switch off our economy?” the envoy asked pointedly, while stressing that India imports over 80% of its energy requirements and is the world’s third-largest consumer of energy.
“Odd Expectations”: India Pushes Back Against Western Pressure
Doraiswami highlighted what he described as “odd” expectations from the West, pointing out that many of India’s European partners still procure rare earth and energy products from countries they expect India to boycott. “Don’t you think that that seems a little odd?” he said.
ALSO READ: ‘We will crush your economy’: Trump ally threatens India, China over Russian oil trade
India, which previously sourced most of its crude from the Middle East, began purchasing heavily discounted Russian oil following the 2022 Ukraine invasion and subsequent sanctions imposed on Moscow by Western countries. Doraiswami explained that this shift was driven by necessity, as India was priced out of traditional energy markets.
India’s Russia Ties Rooted in History and Energy Security
Addressing concerns about India’s relations with Moscow and President Vladimir Putin, Doraiswami clarified that India’s strategic partnership with Russia is long-standing and rooted in security cooperation. “Some of our Western partners wouldn’t sell us weapons but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us,” he noted.
The envoy emphasized that India’s energy relationship with Russia emerged as a result of displacement from other sources, not by preference. “We’ve been displaced out of the energy market largely, and the costs have gone up,” he said. “What would you have us do? Switch off our economy?”
He also criticized selective international relationships that overlook India’s own strategic concerns, saying, “Do we ask you to come up with a little test of loyalty?”
On the Russia-Ukraine war, Doraiswami reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistent message: “This isn’t an era of war.” He underlined India’s desire for global peace, stating, “We are very keen for this terrible conflict to stop, as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop.”
