India Pushes Back at U.S. and EU Over Russian Oil Criticism, Slams 'Unjustified' Targeting Amid Tariff Threats from Trump
The Government of India has issued a pointed and comprehensive rebuttal to recent criticism from the United States and European Union regarding India’s continued energy trade with Russia.
The strongly worded statement, released on August 4, also comes in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to impose steep tariffs on Indian goods for what he called “profiting” off the war in Ukraine.
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| File Photo: MEA India |
It clarified, however, that India only began importing in significant quantities from Russia after traditional suppliers diverted oil toward Europe, following the start of hostilities in Ukraine.
The statement underscored the irony that while India is being criticized, its shift to Russian oil was, at the time, “actively encouraged” by the United States itself in the name of strengthening global energy market stability.
This direct response appears calibrated to highlight the inconsistencies in Western positions, and to signal that India’s energy strategy is driven not by ideology, but by necessity and market logic.
The Ministry of External Affairs emphasized that India’s oil imports are designed to “ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer,” calling them a “necessity compelled by the global market situation.”
The statement then took aim at the countries now criticizing India, noting that “the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,” and, crucially, that “unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.”
To drive the point home, the Indian government laid out comparative data, spotlighting the European Union’s extensive trade with Russia. In 2024, the EU recorded €67.5 billion in bilateral goods trade with Moscow.
In addition, EU-Russia service trade stood at €17.2 billion in 2023 alone—a figure, the statement notes, that is “significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently.”
India also highlighted that European imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) had reached record levels, stating, “European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022.”
The statement expanded the scope of European trade beyond oil and gas, citing that “Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.”
On the United States, the Indian government was equally direct.
It pointed out that “the United States continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.”
This data-driven rebuttal painted a picture of Western selectivity, where India is chastised for trade practices other nations continue without scrutiny.
The concluding section of the six-point statement called out what it labeled “unjustified and unreasonable” targeting of India.
It asserted firmly that “like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”
This parting line made clear that New Delhi will not submit to external pressure or selective diplomacy, and intends to retain full sovereignty over its trade and foreign policy choices.
This firm response comes after days of escalating rhetoric from Trump and his aides.
Trump had just today once again posted on Truth Social accusing India of buying Russian oil and re-selling it on the open market for “big profits,” alleging India doesn’t care “how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
He vowed to impose a “substantial” increase in tariffs on Indian goods, starting as early as August 1.
Trump’s aide Stephen Miller had already earlier added fuel to the fire, stating during a Fox News interview that India is “basically tied with China” in Russian oil imports, and accusing New Delhi of “massive tariffs” on American goods and cheating on immigration.
India’s carefully crafted but firm statement signals that it is not prepared to be scapegoated, particularly by countries that continue to do business with Russia while preaching sanctions and moral high ground.
The use of concrete trade data, comparisons, and historical references indicate that this was not merely a defensive move, but a strategic positioning--aimed at asserting India’s economic sovereignty, foreign policy independence, and its refusal to be drawn into Western geopolitical binaries.