The United States
and other Western nations have been breathing down India’s neck for buying fuel
from Russia since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. India, on the other hand, has
made it clear that it will keep the national interest in mind while buying fuel
from countries, and take a better deal when it gets one, including from Russia.
Now, a recent study has gathered numbers on what was widely thought: The US shipped
more oil from Russia than India since the beginning of the Ukraine war.
Starting April,
the US increased oil imports from Russia by 43%, according to Deputy Secretary
of the Russian Security Council Mikhail Popov. “US forced Europeans to
introduce anti-Russian sanctions, while not only continuing to import oil from
Russia but increasing volume of deliveries for the past week by 43% up to
100,000 barrels per day! Besides, Washington has allowed its companies to import
mineral fertiliser from Russia, listing it as essential goods,” Popov told a
Russian newspaper.
The United States
buying more oil from Russia is ironic because the US, as well as the UK, have
been pushing India to not buy oil from Moscow. Around the same time this report
came out, a US official said while “there is no red line among friends,” Washington
would want India to reduce its fuel dependency on Russia.
Less than 1% of
India’s oil import comes from Russia. When offered at a discounted rate, India
did buy more oil than usual. However, Indian refineries do not have the
capacity to process as much of Russian crude than it can buy. Meanwhile,
defending India’s right to buy oil from where it sees fit, India’s External
Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said, “When oil prices go up, I think it’s
natural for countries to go out in the market and look at what are the good
deals for their people.”
When US Secretary
of State Antony Blinken said: “When it comes to oil purchases, sanctions, et
cetera, I just note that there are carve-outs for energy purchases. Of course,
we’re encouraging countries not to purchase additional energy supplies from
Russia,” the Indian External Affairs minister said that India’s total purchase
of Russian oil for the month is less than what Europe buys in an afternoon.