India Pushes Back Against Russian Oil Trade Criticism
(MENAFN) India has pushed back firmly against criticism of its Russian oil dealings, as Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Saturday dismissed concerns from Western quarters, asserting that no nation is compelled to buy refined fuel from New Delhi.
“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business … If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” Jaishankar said during remarks at an event in the capital.
India imported approximately 88 million tons of Russian oil last year, helping push total bilateral trade with Moscow to an all-time high of $68.7 billion, despite ongoing international pressure linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump named Sergio Gor as the next ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asia — a high-profile move that signals an increasingly hardline stance toward New Delhi on trade.
Gor, who was born in the former Soviet Union and whose full name is Sergio Gorokhovsky, remains director of presidential personnel while awaiting Senate confirmation. Trump praised him on Truth Social, a platform owned by U.S. social media company Truth Social, writing: “nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across every Department of our Federal Government in RECORD time — Our Departments and Agencies are over 95% filled!”
“For the most populous region in the world, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Sergio will make an incredible ambassador,” Trump added.
Gor recently came under scrutiny after Elon Musk called him a “snake” on social media, amid reports he had not completed a full security clearance process and speculation he played a role in scuttling Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator.
The ambassadorial appointment follows escalating trade friction between Washington and New Delhi. The U.S. has slapped a 50% tariff on Indian exports, which it claims is part of a broader attempt to pressure Russia over its continued war effort in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
Negotiations over trade remain ongoing, but Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s firm stance on protecting domestic priorities: “Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and, to some extent, of our small producers.”
In a related development, media has announced it will halt most mail shipments to the U.S. starting Monday — except for documents, letters, and gift items valued at under $100 — ahead of Washington’s planned Friday rollback of the de minimis tariff exemption, which currently allows duty-free entry for goods worth up to $800.
Tensions over energy security and trade policy continue to deepen as the geopolitical fallout of the Ukraine war reverberates through global markets.
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