Defiant India: Will Buy Oil from Whomever We Choose
Aug. 5—If President Donald Trump thought he could bully the nation of India to capitulate to his orders to stop buying Russian oil, the President has gotten his comeuppance. India announced Aug. 4 that it will continue to import oil from whomever it chooses, and will “take all necessary measures to safeguard” its interests.
Last week, Trump slapped 25% tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S.; preposterously labeled India, a nation of nearly 1.5 billion people whose economy is one of the world’s growth spots, a “dead economy;” and ordered the Modi government to stop purchasing oil from Russia, “or else.” He doubled-down Aug. 4 on his “orders” to India. Trump railed on his Truth Social account, that “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT.”
Today, India’s External Affairs Ministry issued the following blunt statement:
“1. India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability.
“2. India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.
“3. The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023. This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5mn tons, surpassing the last record of 15.21mn tons in 2022.
“4. Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.
“5. Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.
“6. In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”