External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that the United States encouraged India to continue purchasing Russian oil in 2022 to help maintain stability in global energy markets, defending New Delhi’s energy decisions as being driven by affordability, availability and national interest.
Speaking at the Kultaranta Talks in Finland, Jaishankar said India’s increased purchases of Russian crude following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war were a response to shifting global supply dynamics rather than political alignment.
“At that time, the US specifically asked India to buy Russian oil to stabilise the oil market,” Jaishankar said. “I buy oil based on cost and availability.”
Responding to questions about whether India had been overly sympathetic to Russia and too willing to import Russian crude, Jaishankar said the geopolitical upheaval caused by the war significantly altered global energy flows.
According to the minister, European countries turned increasingly to Middle Eastern suppliers after sanctions disrupted Russian exports, reducing access to sources that had traditionally supplied India.
“At that point of time, much of the oil available in the market was from Russia because Europeans were buying up the Middle East oil, which was our traditional supplier,” he said. “Circumstances pushed us in a certain direction.”
India sharply increased imports of discounted Russian crude after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow and later introduced a price-cap mechanism on Russian oil, India maintained that its energy purchases would continue to be guided by economic and security considerations.
Jaishankar also rejected criticism from some European quarters regarding India’s energy ties with Russia.
“Let’s not pretend there’s some great principle involved here,” he said. “I don’t think making this about sanctimony is really warranted.”
The minister argued that India had not acted in any way that threatened European security and questioned criticism from countries that continue supplying weapons to regions affecting India’s security environment.
“No European country has been attacked with Indian weapons,” Jaishankar said. “I wish I could say that for European weapons vis-à-vis India.Europe sells weapons which are used to attack India,” he added. “Not just now but for many years. We Indians have never done anything to endanger Europe. I think that’s a reasonable point.”
Highlighting India’s broader energy strategy, Jaishankar noted that Russia has become India’s largest supplier of crude oil, while the United States remains its largest supplier of natural gas. He described Russia as a dependable energy partner and said many countries are seeking greater diversification of energy sources to reduce excessive dependence on any single region.
Russian oil accounted for only a small portion of India’s imports before the Ukraine conflict. However, discounted prices and changing global trade patterns led Indian refiners to significantly increase purchases, making Russia one of India’s leading suppliers.
Recent trade data cited by Reuters indicates that Russia remained a major source of crude for India through 2025 and regained the top supplier position in March 2026 after a brief decline in February. Import trends have continued to be influenced by sanctions, pricing, shipping logistics and developments in global energy markets.
The issue has also featured in India-US trade discussions. Reuters reported earlier this year that Washington had linked certain tariff-relief measures to a reduction in India’s purchases of Russian oil, although New Delhi has not announced any plan to curtail imports.
Jaishankar’s remarks in Finland provide additional context to India’s position during the early stages of the Ukraine conflict, when Western governments sought to balance restrictions on Russian revenue with the need to prevent a broader disruption to global energy supplies.
