India Did Nothing Wrong By Buying Russian Oil, Finland Backs New Delhi; Jaishankar Hits Back At Critics

New Delhi: India has received open support from Finland amid long standing questions regarding oil import from Russia. Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that India has purchased oil from Russia within the price cap set by the Western countries and this was part of the same system that was implemented by the Western countries. Whereas Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also responded to the criticism by clearly saying that India purchases oil for its energy needs on the basis of price and availability and not under any political pressure.

What did Finland's Foreign Minister say?

During the 'Kulturanta Talks' event organized in Finland, Elina Valtonen said that when Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia, it was not their intention to completely disrupt the global oil market. She clarified that the purpose of the price cap system was to limit Russia's income, not to prevent other countries of the world from buying Russian oil. According to her, India purchased oil within this framework and there was no rule violation.

What argument did Jaishankar give regarding Russian oil?

During the program, Jaishankar said that India's energy policy is completely based on national interests. He said that there was a major change in the global energy market after the Ukraine war started in 2022. At that time, Russian oil was relatively cheap and available, so India increased its purchases keeping in mind its needs. He bluntly said that India only looks at cost and availability while buying oil.

Had America also asked India to buy Russian oil?

Making an important disclosure, Jaishankar said that in 2022, America itself had requested India to continue purchasing Russian oil so that the global oil market remains stable. According to him, at that time the world was facing an energy crisis and many countries needed alternative supply sources. He said that the countries that are criticizing India today were adopting a different stance at that time.

Why targeted European countries?

Criticizing Western countries, especially Europe, the external affairs minister said that many European countries have been selling weapons that were used against India. He raised the question of how countries that have ignored India's security concerns for years can teach morality on India's energy purchases today. Jaishankar called this an example of double standards.

What has changed in India's energy strategy?

After the Ukraine war, there has been a major change in India's energy supply structure. Russia has emerged as India's largest crude oil supplier, while the US has become one of the major suppliers of natural gas. India is continuously working on the policy of maintaining balanced relations with various countries to meet its energy needs.

Will India's stance remain the same in future also?

Experts believe that India will give top priority to energy security in the coming times also. The government has already made it clear that the purchase of oil and gas will be decided on the basis of national interests. After the support received from Finland and the clear message from Jaishankar, this signal has become stronger that India is in no mood to accept any external pressure on its independent foreign and energy policy.