The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday reaffirmed that safeguarding India’s energy security remains the government’s foremost priority, amid claims by US President Donald Trump that New Delhi has agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s energy decisions are firmly guided by national interest, particularly the need to ensure reliable and affordable energy for its population of 1.4 billion.
Jaiswal said the government has repeatedly stated that energy security is a supreme priority and added that India’s strategy focuses on diversifying its energy sources in line with objective market conditions and changing international realities. He emphasised that all decisions related to energy sourcing are taken with this principle in mind.
Trump made the remarks following the announcement of a bilateral trade agreement between India and the United States. In a social media post, he claimed that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil and would instead increase purchases from the US and potentially Venezuela, linking the move to efforts to end the Russia Ukraine conflict.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi later confirmed the trade agreement, no official statement was issued by the Indian government regarding any decision to discontinue Russian oil imports.
Responding to questions on Venezuela, Jaiswal said India remains open to sourcing oil from any country based on commercial viability. He noted that India has a long standing partnership with Venezuela and would continue to make energy decisions guided by economic considerations.
The India US trade agreement was announced earlier this week, with tariffs on Indian goods reportedly reduced from 50 per cent to 18 per cent. Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the final agreement is in its concluding stages, a view echoed by US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, who said the deal was still being finalised. A joint statement detailing the agreement is expected soon.
Russia also reacted to the developments, with Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova saying there was no indication that India would reconsider its energy cooperation with Moscow. She said the trade in energy resources benefits both countries and contributes to stability in global energy markets.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said India has always sourced oil from multiple suppliers and that Russia is not the country’s sole energy partner, adding that there was nothing unusual in India’s diversified procurement approach.
Separately, Goyal reiterated the government’s position, once again stressing that energy security for 1.4 billion Indians remains paramount and that diversification based on market conditions and evolving global dynamics is central to India’s energy strategy.
The remarks come as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visits the United States to attend the Critical Minerals Ministerial hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Jaishankar said his meetings included an extensive review of bilateral cooperation, along with discussions on the Indo Pacific, West Asia, Gaza and the Ukraine conflict.
At the Critical Minerals meeting, the External Affairs Minister also expressed India’s support for the FORGE initiative, aimed at strengthening resource security and geostrategic engagement.
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