Halting purchases of Russian oil will not help end Russia’s full‑scale war against Ukraine, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on September 3 during his first visit to Kyiv.
India remains the second‑largest buyer of Russian crude oil, after China. Purchases by these two countries have provided Moscow with a critical revenue source since the start of its full‑scale invasion in 2022, helping to fund the war.
Speaking at a briefing with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that, in his view, solutions to Russia’s war against Ukraine “will not emerge on the battlefield”, and that India is ready to contribute to efforts to end it.
He emphasized that supplying fuel for India’s 1.4 billion people is a challenge, adding that he respects Ukraine’s position on Russian oil purchases while expecting the same respect for India’s stance.
“This conflict, now in its fifth year, will not be resolved because someone buys or does not buy oil, alumina, minerals or metals…” the Indian minister said. “It will be resolved through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiations. That is why we advocate for such an approach.”
US pressure over Russian oil
Last August, then‑US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports because of the country’s energy trade with Russia, raising the overall tariff rate to 50%. The duties were later cut to 18%, while Washington continued to urge India to replace Russian oil with Venezuelan crude.
The US House of Representatives is expected to vote later this September on legislation that could raise tariffs to as high as 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil or gas, including India and China.
According to Kyiv Independent
