New Delhi: India’s High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, has firmly pushed back against criticism over India’s continued oil imports from Russia, questioning the fairness of such scrutiny when other nations maintain similar energy relationships.
Addressing questions about India’s ties with Russia, Doraiswami stressed that no country can simply “switch off its economy.” He pointed out the contradiction in how some nations continue purchasing rare earths and energy from the very sources they ask India to avoid. “Don’t you think that seems a little odd?” he remarked.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, began sourcing more oil from Russia after steep discounts were offered following Western sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. Doraiswami explained that this shift was necessitated by India being displaced from traditional energy markets and facing soaring prices.
Highlighting India’s 80% dependency on imported energy, he asked, “What would you have us do? Switch off our economy?”
He further underlined India’s historical defence ties with Russia, noting that during a time when some Western countries refused to supply arms to India, they were instead selling to India’s neighbours who used them against India.
Doraiswami also drew attention to the perceived double standards in international relations. “We see other countries maintaining relationships of convenience with those who pose challenges to us. Do we question your loyalty?”
On the Russia-Ukraine war, he reiterated India’s call for peace, emphasizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistent message that “this isn’t an era of war.” He said India wishes to see an end not just to this conflict, but to all ongoing conflicts around the world.
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