Jaishankar’s reply on Russian oil purchase: India buys oil on the basis of price and availability, not on the basis of politics.

Amid criticism from Western countries regarding the purchase of crude oil from Russia, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has presented India’s position strongly. He clearly said that India’s energy related policies are completely based on national interest, price and availability and not on any political inclination. Participating in a discussion on ‘Emerging powers and new geopolitical competition’ during the ‘Kultaranta Talks’ program organized in Finland, Jaishankar answered questions related to the Russia-Ukraine war and India’s role.

“I buy oil based on price and availability. Most of the oil available in the market at that time was from Russia because European countries were buying large amounts of oil from the Middle East, which has traditionally been our source of supply,” he said.

The Foreign Minister also gave a sharp reaction by accusing the Western countries of double standards regarding their criticism. He said, “Since you talked about moral ambiguity, I would like to say that no European country has been attacked by Indian weapons. I wish I could say the same about European weapons in the context of India. European countries sell weapons which are used to attack India. This is not a thing today, but it has been happening for many years. We have never taken any step that jeopardizes the security of Europe. So I think it is a fair thing.”

#WATCH | EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "I buy oil based on cost and availability. So at that point of time, ah much of the oil available on the market was Russia because Europeans were essentially buying up the Middle East oil, which was our traditional supply. So circumstances… pic.twitter.com/AZlslrCBHy

— ANI (@ANI) June 12, 2026

This comment of Jaishankar has come at a time when some sections of the western countries have been continuously raising questions about the energy relations between India and Russia since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Critics have alleged that New Delhi is adopting an overly sympathetic stance towards Moscow due to Russian oil imports.

However, India has consistently clarified that its foreign policy and energy security decisions are taken only on the basis of national interests. New Delhi has also consistently supported dialogue and diplomatic efforts to resolve the war.

India has tried to adopt a balanced stance amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. On the one hand, it has given priority to its energy needs, while on the other hand it has also continued to advocate peace talks and diplomatic solutions. Jaishankar’s latest statement is being seen as a clear message of India’s strategic autonomy and independent foreign policy.

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