Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has hit back at US tariff threats over India's purchase of Russian crude oil, saying New Delhi buys the commodity to meet its own energy requirements and not to help Moscow fund the war in Ukraine.
Alipov's remarks came amid increasing Western regulatory scrutiny and the threat of secondary sanctions against countries and companies that continue to conduct business with major Russian energy suppliers.
During an interaction with DD News, Alipov said,"India does not buy Russian oil for the sake of helping Russia. It is buying oil for itself and its own national development.”
Russia accounted for 30.3% of India's crude oil imports in FY2026, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI). India purchased $40.8 billion worth of Russian crude out of total crude oil imports worth $134.7 billion.
In an interview with ANI, the Russian envoy said Moscow remained committed to meeting India's energy requirements and was prepared to supply as much oil as New Delhi needed. He described secondary sanctions and tariffs targeting Russian oil trade as punitive “pressure tactics” by Western coalitions and said such measures were undermining constructive global engagement.
“We would be ready to supply as much oil as India needs. Unfortunately, those who impose sanctions and tariffs have taken the path of pressure tactics instead of honest cooperation, which prevents those countries from offering a better deal to India in oil than us,” he said.
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Alipov also defended India's independent foreign policy, saying New Delhi had demonstrated its ability to protect its national interests despite external pressure. “The question is — how confident is India? India has shown that it's able to stand its ground and defend its national interests. And when we speak about the sanctions pertaining to oil trade, the tariffs are also related to the cooperation between Russia and India in oil supplies. These interests are paramount for India,” Alipov said.
The Russian envoy further argued that Russian crude would remain an important part of global energy markets, warning that the world would struggle to cope with its exclusion. “The world will not cope if Russian oil is excluded. The energy markets cannot afford that. Russian oil will stay in the market for India and other countries. We are interested in supplying oil to India. India is interested in buying that oil,” Alipov added.
India has consistently maintained that its crude oil purchases are guided by national interest, energy security and affordability, as well as the need to meet the energy requirements of its 1.4 billion people.
During a recent visit to Kyiv, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Russia-Ukraine conflict could not be resolved simply by pressuring countries over their purchases of Russian oil, metals, minerals or fertilisers.
Speaking after a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, Jaishankar said India had to consider the challenge of securing energy for its 1.4 billion people amid difficult global energy conditions.
“This conflict, which is today in its third year, will not be solved because somebody is buying or not buying oil or alumina or minerals or metals or fertiliser,” Jaishankar said. He added that the conflict would ultimately require “dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation.”
He said India respected Ukraine's position but expected other countries to also understand New Delhi's concerns.
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