India Will Keep Buying Russian Oil, Says Nirmala Sitharaman

India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the country will continue buying Russian oil, signaling its intent to defy US President Donald Trump’s persistent demands to halt the purchases. 

“Where we buy our oil from, especially a big-ticket foreign exchange item where we pay so much, highest in terms of import, we will have to take a call on what suits us best,” Sitharaman said in an interview with News18 television on Friday. “We will undoubtedly be buying.”

The comments come as New Delhi has kept up its purchases of Russian oil, saying it will continue to do so as long as it’s financially viable. India has been the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude as the discounted barrels, shunned by the West in wake of Ukraine war, have helped the world’s third largest oil consumer keep its import bill in check.

The move has irked the Trump administration, which doubled tariffs on the South Asian nation to 50%, among the highest in the world. Separately, Trump hit out at India and Russia once again on Friday for strengthening their ties with China. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin earlier this week. The leaders discussed cooperation in areas ranging from energy to security.