New Delhi, Aug 4 (EFE).- India accused the United States and the European Union on Monday of “hypocrisy” for maintaining significant trade with Russia while condemning New Delhi’s oil imports from the country, purchases that Indian officials say were previously encouraged by Washington itself.
In a strongly worded statement, India’s Ministry of External Affairs called recent US criticism “unjustified and unreasonable.”
The statement came just hours after United States President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Indian exports in retaliation for New Delhi’s ongoing purchases of Russian crude oil.
“It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves engaged in trade with Russia,” the Indian government said. “As a major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”
India, the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, has increased its purchases of Russian oil since the war in Ukraine began in 2022.
Imports from Moscow now make up over a third of India’s total oil consumption, up from less than 2% before the invasion, according to official figures.
New Delhi argues that the shift was a strategic necessity after traditional suppliers redirected oil flows toward Europe. “This ensured predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers,” the statement said.
India points to West’s continued trade with Russia
To support its claims, India cited trade figures from its Western critics.
In 2024, the EU conducted 67.5 billion euros in bilateral trade with Russia and imported a record 16.5 million tons of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), the government said.
The US, meanwhile, continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear sector, palladium for electric vehicles, fertilizers, and other chemical products.
“Unlike India’s energy needs, this trade is not driven by vital national necessity,” the statement emphasized.
The Indian government also recalled that “the US actively encouraged Indian oil imports from Russia at the onset of the Ukraine conflict to help stabilize global energy markets.”
Trump announces tariffs, questions India’s neutrality
The diplomatic clash intensified after Trump publicly criticized India and announced new tariffs on Indian goods.
“They don’t care how many people are being killed in Ukraine by Russia’s war machine,” Trump said, referring to India’s continued oil purchases from Moscow.
India has maintained a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, refraining from joining Western sanctions against Russia.
Officials have argued that taking sides would undermine the country’s strategic autonomy and economic stability.
India’s statement suggests that it sees the recent pressure as politically motivated and inconsistent with the West’s behavior.
“India will continue to act in its national interest,” it concluded. EFE
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