US, EU trade with Russia persists while they want India to stop: MEA
In a sharp response to Trump, New Delhi said the United States and European Union continue trading with Russia while they want India to stop
New Delhi: In a sharp response to Trump, New Delhi said the United States and European Union continue trading with Russia while they want India to stop.
Responding to Trump’s repeated warnings, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement Monday August 05, 2025 said the U.S. had initially encouraged India to buy from Russia for market stability.
“India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability”, the ministry said.
The Ministry of External Affairs' statement came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump objected India buying oil from Russia, accusing New Delhi of aiding Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
"Compelled by Global Market Situation"
India said its imports from Russia are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer.
"They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion", the MEA said.
"In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security", the ministry said.
US, EU Trade with Russia
The ministry also provided the data of EU imports from Russia during Moscow's war with Ukraine.
"The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023", the ministry said.
"This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5mn tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21mn tonnes in 2022", the ministry said.
Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.
"Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals", the ministry said.
Russian Oil
Russia, one of the largest oil producers in the world is a member of OPEC+. The country is facing trade sanctions by the U.S. and its allies over Ukraine war. However, India, China and Brazil are doing business with Russia despite the sanctions, as per reports.
The case of India is murkier, as it is reported, Releiance Industries of India is importing oil from Russia at a much cheaper rate but the benefits are not passed on to the people.
Petrol and Diesel in India are selling at much higher prices due to massive taxes on petroleum products. This contradicts the External Affair Ministry's claim that the country's oil import from Russia was driven by "predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer."
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