On American claims regarding oil purchase from Russia, S Jaishankar said – India is committed to strategic autonomy.

Munich. America is repeatedly claiming that India has stopped buying oil from Russia. Meanwhile, while ensuring its strategic autonomy, India has given a clear message globally that its energy-related decisions will be taken keeping in mind availability, price and risk. Let us tell you, recently an interim trade agreement has been signed between India and America. Since then, US President Donald Trump and Foreign Minister Marco Rubio have been claiming that India has agreed to stop extra import of Russian crude.

Addressing the Munich Security Conference on Saturday local time, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar rejected suggestions that the recent India-US trade deal would weaken India’s long-standing commitment to strategic autonomy. In fact, Rubio had said that after the latest US ban on Russian energy exports, India has assured Washington that it will avoid buying more Russian oil.

“The United States has imposed additional sanctions on Russian oil. In our talks with India, we have received a commitment from them to stop buying additional Russian oil. Europe has taken its own steps to move forward,” Rubio was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Tass during the conference. Earlier this month, Trump had said, “India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia and buy more from America.”

However, EAM Jaishankar made it clear that India’s foreign policy approach will remain based on its independent decision-making framework. “We are very connected to strategic autonomy because it is an important part of our history and our development. And it is something that is very deep, it is something that goes beyond the political realm,” he said.

Referring specifically to energy provision, the External Affairs Minister described the global oil market as complex and said, “As far as energy matters are concerned, it is a complex market today. Oil companies in India, like in Europe and perhaps in other parts of the world, look at availability, price and risk and take decisions that they feel are in their best interest.”

When he was directly asked whether India would stop buying oil from Russia under the terms of the trade agreement, Jaishankar clearly replied, “If your question simply means, will I be free-thinking and will take my own decisions and will I take decisions that may not match your thinking, then yes, it can happen.” India has so far neither officially confirmed nor denied Washington’s claim that it has promised to stop further imports of Russian crude oil.