Moscow/New Delhi: India is under “immense” pressure from the West over its energy cooperation with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said at a UN press conference.
Describing India as a “great power” that determines its own interests and partners, Lavrov said New Delhi “is being subjected to immense, brazen pressure, which is absolutely unacceptable in terms of international conduct”, RT reported.
India has maintained robust ties with Moscow against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions on Russia. New Delhi has ramped up its purchase of discounted crude oil as well as other commodities from Russia, insisting that it is acting based on “pragmatic” interests for its own citizens.
In a recent interview with RT’s ‘Let’s Talk Bharat’ show, Indian Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stressed that New Delhi’s increased Russian oil purchases have not only supported the country’s growth, but have also prevented global oil prices from skyrocketing to $250-$300 per barrel.
Puri also argued that India will continue to rely on oil to support its economic growth at least for the next two decades – despite the ongoing push to generate more energy from renewable sources.
Speaking at the UN after presiding over a Security Council meeting on Palestine on Wednesday, Lavrov lauded India for the way it “responds” to criticism, pointing out that his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, had on many occasions defended New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia by showing that Western countries themselves have increased imports of Russian energy resources despite introducing restrictions.
Jaishankar has slammed unilateral sanctions, arguing that they are not accepted by the developing world, which is bearing the brunt of disrupted supply chains.
Lavrov also condemned Ukraine’s reaction to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Moscow. In a post on X, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Modi’s hug with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “blow” to peace efforts. New Delhi earlier this week summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over the remark.
Washington publicly expressed its “concerns” over India’s ties with Russia after Modi landed in Moscow. According to the Washington Post, the US had tried to persuade New Delhi to reschedule Modi’s visit so that it would not coincide with a summit of NATO leaders in Washington during the same week. US officials were concerned to see a major Asian power engaging with Russia at the same time as Western nations were insisting that Russia is isolated over the Ukraine conflict, sources told the newspaper.
