EU flags petro product imports from India using Russian oil

The European Union (EU) on Saturday expressed concern at a rapid increase in refined petroleum products made from Russian crude in countries such as India entering European markets, as this defeats sanctions aimed at curbing Russia's ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

- Rezaul H Laskar

Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU executive vice-president and commissioner for trade who is visiting India for a meeting of G20 trade ministers, said the 27-member bloc is assessing how to deal with the entry of products processed from Russian crude into European markets in "large quantities".

Dombrovskis also pointed to Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and accused Moscow of using energy supplies and food as "weapons of war and manipulation".

Against such a backdrop, the EU-India strategic partnership based on trust and friendship is crucial for addressing big challenges, he told a small group of reporters.