The Kremlin on Wednesday said it saw nothing new in India’s announcement that it would diversify its oil supplies, noting that New Delhi has long sourced crude from multiple countries, including Russia
The Kremlin on Wednesday said it saw nothing new in India’s announcement that it would diversify its oil supplies, noting that New Delhi has long sourced crude from multiple countries, including Russia.
The comments followed remarks earlier in the day by Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who said India would diversify its energy sources amid changing global circumstances to safeguard the country’s energy security.
Goyal’s statement came after US President Donald Trump announced a US-India trade deal on Monday.
Trump on Monday announced a trade deal with India that slashed tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50% in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade barriers. Trump said India would instead buy oil from the US and potentially Venezuela.
The Kremlin on Tuesday, however, said it had heard no statements from India about halting purchases of Russian oil.
In his first statement to the parliament on the trade deal, Goyal did not refer to shifting energy purchases away from any country.
Indian refiners have not been told by the government to stop buying Russian oil and would need a wind-down period to complete purchases already in process, Reuters reported.
Asked about India’s oil procurement plans, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was not India’s sole supplier.
“We, and not only us but all specialists in the field of international energy affairs, are well aware that Russia is not the only supplier of oil and petroleum products to India,” Reuters quoted Peskov as telling reporters.
“India has always purchased these products from other countries. That is why we do not see any new developments here.”
With inputs from agencies
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