If India Stops Buying Oil, West Offers No Beneficial Alternative: Russian Envoy

As External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visited Moscow on Wednesday (20 August), Russian diplomats in India defended their energy ties with New Delhi and expressed confidence that both sides would overcome US sanctions, reported The Times Of India.

Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin asserted that India would likely maintain crude oil imports from Russia despite political pressures.

“It is a challenging situation for India. We enjoy trust in our partnership with India and are committed to addressing challenges in our energy ties,” Babushkin said.

He stressed that Russia had developed a “special mechanism to deal with any challenge on the sanction issue.”

Bloomberg quoted Russia’s deputy trade representative as saying Moscow sold crude to India at a 5 per cent discount.

The Russian embassy later clarified that “a 5 per cent swing is possible subject to negotiation.”

Babushkin argued, “The sanctions are hitting those who are imposing them. We are confident that India-Russia energy cooperation will continue notwithstanding the external pressure.”

The Trump administration recently imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India’s Russian oil imports, effective 27 August , accusing New Delhi of “profiteering.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent even warned of further secondary sanctions.

Still, Russia remains India’s top crude supplier, and Babushkin called it “a perfect case of mutual accommodation and complementarity of our economies.”

He dismissed Western pressure, saying, “If hypothetically speaking, India refuses to procure Russian oil, it will not lead to mutually beneficial cooperation with the West.”

Babushkin projected India-Russia trade to hit $100 billion by 2030 and highlighted BRICS’s growing strength, noting its $77 trillion GDP compared to the G7’s $57 trillion.

Also Read: Russia Slams US Tariffs, Calls India A Friend Who 'Matters Very Much’