EAM: Russian oil purchase not raised in US trade talks

The current US administration did not ask India to cease purchasing Russian oil in private discussions until President Donald Trump began making public statements criticising New Delhi's energy trade, external affairs minister S Jaishankar revealed on Saturday.

- HT Correspondent

The disclosure exposes a significant inconsistency in Washington's approach, with Jaishankar emphasising that “after January [when Trump was sworn in], there were no conversations with the current administration saying: Don’t do that [buy Russian oil]”.

Speaking at a media conclave, the minister provided crucial context for this policy contradiction, revealing that in 2022, American officials had actively encouraged India’s Russian oil purchases to stabilise global energy prices.

“In 2022, there was deep nervousness because oil prices went up... And there were a set of conversations with different people in the American administration at that time that if India wanted to buy Russian oil, that’s fine by us, because it will stabilise the price of oil,” Jaishankar said, speaking at the ET World Leaders Forum.

Jaishankar identified three core issues straining India-US relations: trade negotiations, Russian energy purchases, and American mediation assertions over India-Pakistan tensions.

"Right now, I think there are issues. It's pretty open," Jaishankar said, noting that President Donald Trump's publicly conducted foreign policy marked a significant departure from traditional diplomacy.

On trade, the minister emphasised India's unwillingness to bend on core principles. "Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and of our small producers," he stated.