The Indian Foreign Ministry called unfounded criticism of the West for the import of Russian oil.

India will take all necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security amid critical statements from the United States and the European Union (EU) for importing Russian oil. This was announced on August 4 by Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.

"India started buying oil from Russia because its traditional suppliers redirected exports to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict [in Ukraine]. At that time, the United States, on the contrary, actively encouraged such purchases from India in order to stabilize global energy markets," reads a statement posted on the Indian Foreign Ministry's website.

Jaiswal added that India's imports are aimed at providing "predictable and affordable" energy prices for Indian consumers, while the critical countries themselves continue to trade with Russia. He noted that in 2024, the bilateral trade in goods between the European Union and Russia amounted to €67.5 billion. In addition, the volume of trade in services reached €17.2 billion in 2023.

"This significantly exceeds the total volume of trade between India and Russia for that year or the following. <...> As for the United States, they continue to import uranium hexafluoride from Russia for their nuclear industry, palladium for the production of electric vehicles, fertilizers, as well as chemicals," said a representative of the Indian Foreign Ministry.

In addition, Jaiswal called the criticism of his country unfounded and unfair and warned of protective measures.

"Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security," Randhir Jaiswal concluded.

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On the same day, US President Donald Trump announced that he would significantly increase duties on India due to imports of Russian oil. In his opinion, New Delhi is not concerned about the situation in the conflict in Ukraine. India buys oil and resells it on the open market, making "huge" profits, Trump wrote.

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