Unjustified and unreasonable: India calls out Wests double standards on Russia trade

New Delhi: In a strongly worded rebuttal to criticism from the United States and the European Union over India's continued purchase of Russian oil, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday called the targeting of New Delhi "unjustified and unreasonable". The ministry accused the West of not practising what it preaches, pointing out that both the US and EU have themselves continued trading with Russia.

Responding point-by-point, the MEA defended its energy imports, stating that India began sourcing oil from Russia after traditional suppliers diverted shipments to Europe in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. "The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability," the MEA said.

India's oil imports, the statement emphasised, are driven by the need to ensure predictable and affordable energy prices for domestic consumers -- a necessity shaped by the global market situation. In contrast, it pointed out, "unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion".

Providing trade figures to highlight the extent of Europe's economic engagement with Moscow, the MEA noted that the European Union had bilateral trade worth €67.5 billion in goods with Russia in 2024. It also recorded €17.2 billion in trade in services in 2023. "This is significantly more than India's total trade with Russia that year or subsequently," the MEA stated. Moreover, European imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) touched a record 16.5 million tonnes in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022.

The ministry also stressed that Europe's trade with Russia is not limited to energy. It spans a wide range of goods, including fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, and transport equipment. This, the MEA suggested, undermines the moral authority of Europe's criticism, especially given that such imports continued even after the onset of war.

The United States, the MEA said, continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, as well as fertilisers and chemicals from Russia. "In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the statement concluded.

The MEA's remarks came in the wake of comments by US President Donald Trump, who on Monday posted on Truth Social that he would raise tariffs on Indian goods "substantially", citing India's continued purchase of Russian oil.

"India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA," Trump wrote.

Last week, Trump had already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and introduced an undisclosed penalty, accusing New Delhi of "financing Russia’s war on Ukraine".