Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: A senior Russian diplomat said Wednesday that India is welcome to increase its exports to Russia if it faces barriers in the US market following Washington’s sanctions over Russian crude imports. Moscow labelled the pressure on India “unjustified and unilateral,” while expressing confidence that energy cooperation between the two nations would continue despite external pressure.
Russia Criticises US Tariffs on India
Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin dismissed the US’ additional 25% duty—soon to double to 50%—as an unfair attempt to force India to reduce its Russian oil purchases. He noted that Russia has become India’s largest crude supplier and that their economies are “mutually complementary.” Babushkin warned that giving up Russian oil would not guarantee fair treatment from the West, which he described as behaving like “neocolonial powers.”
India-Russia Strategic Partnership Stressed
Babushkin highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent phone call with President Vladimir Putin as evidence of the close ties, stressing that India “matters a lot” to Russia. He asserted that the partnership was resilient, with trade growing sevenfold despite years of sanctions. He added that Russia and BRICS nations never impose sanctions, calling Western secondary sanctions “illegal” and designed to weaponise the global economy.
Impact of US Tariff Escalation
President Trump’s new tariff move—targeting India with the highest duty level along with Brazil—has triggered sharp criticism in New Delhi, where the government branded it “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” The duty is expected to hit key sectors including textiles, leather, and marine exports. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is currently in Moscow for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, underlining the continued engagement between the two countries amid growing tensions with Washington.
