Indian foreign minister slams US for policy U-turn after encouraging India to buy Russian oil

India is surprised by Washington’s U-turn on Russian oil purchases as the U.S. used to encourage the country to buy oil from Russia, its foreign minister claimed.

The statement comes as a White House advisor indicated the Trump administration intends to proceed with a planned hike of tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi’s oil trade with Moscow.

India taken aback by U.S. U-turn on Russian oil purchases

For years, the United States has been encouraging India to buy Russian oil to stabilize global energy markets, and the Asian nation is a bit taken aback by the recent U.S. U-turn on the matter, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was quoted as stating by the TASS news agency.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, he elaborated:

“We are a country where actually the Americans said for the last few years that we should do everything to stabilize the oil energy market, including buying oil from Russia.”

Jaishankar emphasized that India is not the largest buyer of Russian oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG), lagging behind China and Europe in that respect. He also noted his country is buying increasing amounts of oil from the U.S.

“So, quite honestly, we are very perplexed by the logic of the [U.S.] arguments,” India’s top diplomat concluded, addressing journalists after a meeting of the Russian-Indian intergovernmental commission in Moscow, which he co-chaired.

Earlier in August, Washington announced it will raise duties on Indian products, by 25 percentage points to a total of 50%, to pressure New Delhi over its purchases of oil and petroleum products from Russia. The new levies are set to enter into force before the end of the month.

However, following talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted Washington might refrain from imposing the higher tariffs on Russia’s trading partners. China, which was also threatened with the same, has been spared for now.

On Wednesday, as reported by Cryptopolitan, First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Denis Manturov made it clear that the Russian Federation is still shipping oil to India and signaled Moscow’s interest in delivering LNG as well.

In an interview with TASS, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri also insisted that bilateral cooperation remains at a high level and is developing despite global instability.

Trump aide calls India ‘laundromat for the Kremlin’

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made his statements when asked to comment on recent accusations by White House Senior Advisor for Trade and Manufacturing, Peter Navarro, including that India’s purchases of Russian oil are fueling the conflict in Ukraine.

The United States still plans to increase tariffs on Indian imports by 25%, President Trump’s aide indicated this week. “I see that taking place,” TASS quoted him as stating, with the punitive levies scheduled to become effective on August 27.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Navarro accused the government in New Delhi of acting as a “laundromat for the Kremlin” by buying its oil at discounted rates, refining it and then selling the products at premium prices around the world, including Europe.

#WATCH | US | White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro says, "In India, 25% tariffs were put in place because they cheat us on trade. Then 25% because of the Russian oil… In many ways, the road to peace runs through New Delhi…"

He said, "Prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine… pic.twitter.com/DxT7oUrpPV

— ANI (@ANI) August 21, 2025

“Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India bought virtually no Russian oil… The argument now, when this percentage has gone up to 30-35%, that somehow they need Russian oil, is nonsense,” he elaborated.

Indian refineries are profiteering from the arrangement while Moscow is using the money to build more arms, the U.S. trade advisor alleged. Claiming India’s actions are in fact perpetuating the war in Ukraine, Navarro insisted that “in many ways, the road to peace runs through New Delhi.”

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