&w=3840&q=100)
Russia invites Indian exports as US tariffs hit trade, defends oil ties
At a press conference in New Delhi, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin called Washington's stance on India's energy trade with Moscow 'unjustified' and 'unilateral".
'If Indian goods are facing difficulties entering the US market, the Russian market is welcoming Indian exports,' he said. 'The sanctions are hitting those who are imposing them. It is a challenging situation for India but we have trust in our ties. We are confident that India-Russia energy cooperation will continue notwithstanding the external pressure.'
#WATCH | Delhi | Roman Babushkin, Chargé d'Affaires of the Russian Embassy in India, says, " (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar is in Moscow. He will meet Mr Lavrov tomorrow. They will discuss everything important, including global issues." pic.twitter.com/6ep6sbrRRQ
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025
'India-Russia ties built on complementarity'
Babushkin stressed that Moscow remains India's largest crude oil supplier and that the two economies complement each other. 'Let's proceed from the fact that Russia is the biggest supplier to India of crude oil. And India's demands are growing year by year. Certainly, this is a perfect case of mutual accommodation and complementarity of our economies. We are quite certain that our cooperation will continue,' he said.
The Russian diplomat's remarks came a day after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said US President Donald Trump had imposed new tariffs on India to "discourage" Russia from continuing the Ukraine conflict. A 25 per cent duty is set to take effect on August 27, with Washington already warning of sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil. India and China are the two largest buyers.
Jaishankar in Moscow as tensions rise
The comments also coincided with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to Russia, where he is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
According to Babushkin, Western nations cannot be trusted to treat India as an equal partner. 'If India refuses Russian oil, it will not lead to equal cooperation with the West in general because it is not in the Western nature, which was clearly demonstrated in recent years. They behave like neocolonial powers that think of their own benefit. This pressure is unjustified and unilateral,' he said.
He added, 'If the West criticises you, it means you are doing everything right. We don't expect that to happen (India to stop buying oil from Russia). We know about the challenging circumstances for India. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying.'
Putin-Modi talks underline partnership
Babushkin also highlighted the recent phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'The recent phone call by President Putin to PM Modi ji, explaining and sharing the information about recent developments in Ukraine, means India matters a lot to Russia. We are capable of finding any solution for mutual satisfaction. The deepening of our partnership will help us grow together,' he said.
He pointed out that despite years of Western sanctions, bilateral trade had grown significantly. 'We have seen this problem of sanctions for many years now, but our trade is growing. In recent years, our trade has grown by seven times,' he noted.
Russia slams US 'double standards'
The Russian diplomat criticised Washington for straining ties with New Delhi while calling itself a partner. 'As we all know, the sanctions are a tool of unlawful competition. It's always about double standards. A lack of trust, blackmail and pressure, as well as disrespect of national interests. Friends don't behave like that,' he said.
He added that Russia and Brics countries never impose sanctions, calling non-UN and secondary sanctions 'illegal".
'They just weaponise the economy. Despite the tremendous sanction pressure on Russia, you will see the Russian economy is growing steadily,' he said.
US tariffs hit Indian exports
On August 6, Trump announced an additional 25 per cent duty on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued oil imports from Russia. He later doubled the tariff to 50 per cent, the highest imposed on any country apart from Brazil. Key Indian export sectors such as textiles, leather, and marine products are expected to be badly hit.
India condemned the move as 'unfair, unjustified and unreasonable'. Prime Minister Modi has said New Delhi will not bow to economic pressure.
Leavitt later clarified that the sanctions aimed to put 'secondary pressure on Russia.' She added, 'The president has put tremendous public pressure to bring this war to a close. He's taken actions, as you've seen, sanctions on India and other actions as well.'
(With ANI inputs)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Israel approves settlement project that could divide West Bank: ‘Palestinian state being erased'
Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state. More than 700,000 Israelis settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.(AP) Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler leader, cast the approval as a rebuke to Western countries that announced their plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent weeks. 'The Palestinian state is being erased from the table not with slogans but with actions,' he said on Wednesday. 'Every settlement, every neighborhood, every housing unit is another nail in the coffin of this dangerous idea.' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and has vowed to maintain open-ended control over the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem, and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip — territories Israel seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for their state. Israel's expansion of settlements is part of an increasingly dire reality for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as the world's attention focuses on the war in Gaza. There have been marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians, evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli military operations, and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement, as well as several Palestinian attacks on Israelis. More than 700,000 Israelis settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The location of E1 is significant because it is one of the last geographical links between the major West Bank cities of Ramallah, in the north, and Bethlehem, in the south. The two cities are 22 kilometers (14 miles) apart, but Palestinians traveling between them must take a wide detour and pass through multiple Israeli checkpoints, spending hours on the journey. The hope was that, in an eventual Palestinian state, the region would serve as a direct link between the cities. 'The settlement in E1 has no purpose other than to sabotage a political solution,' said Peace Now, an organization that tracks settlement expansion in the West Bank. "While the consensus among our friends in the world is to strive for peace and a two-state solution, a government that long ago lost the people's trust is undermining the national interest, and we are all paying the price.' Asked about E1 in an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said talk of a two-state solution was not a 'high priority' for the Trump administration and that there were too many unanswered questions about what a Palestinian state would look like. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. If the process moves quickly, infrastructure work in E1 could begin in the next few months and construction of homes could start in around a year. The plan includes around 3,500 apartments that would abut the existing settlement of Maale Adumim. Smotrich also hailed the approval, during the same meeting, of 350 homes for the settlement of Ashael near Hebron. Israel could, in theory, remove the settlement at some future date, as it did with its ones in Gaza in 2005, but that possibility appears extremely remote at present given strong support for the settlements among Israel's government and even some opposition parties. Israel's government is dominated by religious and ultranationalist politicians, like Smotrich, with close ties to the settlement movement. The finance minister has been granted Cabinet-level authority over settlement policies and vowed to double the settler population in the West Bank.
Hindustan Times
6 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Cracker Barrel new logo row: Why Lebanon-based chain is facing backlash; CEO responds
Cracker Barrel, famous Lebanon-based restaurant chain, is facing severe backlash on social media over its new logo and menu updates. On Wednesday, the chain announced the changes, saying the new logo is 'now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all'. This is the first time in 48 years that the Cracker Barrel logo will be text-only with no images. Cracker Barrel has changed its logo(Cracker Barrel) The chain, which opened in 1969, had a logo with just text before, but in 1977, it updated the image to show a man resting by the barrel. In a press release, Cracker Barrel noted that 'farm fresh scrambled eggs and buttermilk biscuits' were the inspiration behind the color palette in the new campaign. The company is running an 'All the More' campaign that 'positions the iconic American brand for the future'. 'We believe in the goodness of country hospitality, a spirit that has always defined us. Our story hasn't changed. Our values haven't changed. With 'All the More,' we're honoring our legacy while bringing fresh energy, thoughtful craftsmanship and heartfelt hospitality to our guests this fall,' Sarah Moore, chief marketing officer of Cracker Barrel, said in a statement. However, social media backlash followed the makeover. 'The CEO of Cracker Barrel is as woke as they come. She is destroying a once great American brand,' pro-Trump adviser Alex Bruesewitz wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. 'This logo is depressing,' another person added. 'Now why would they remove the cracker & the barrel?' a third one tweeted. Cracker Barrel CEO responds The CEO of the company, Julie Felss Masino, explained the changes in an interview with Good Morning America. 'People like what we're doing. Cracker Barrel needs to feel like the Cracker Barrel for today and for tomorrow -- the things that you love are still there. We need people to choose us, and we want people to choose us,' she said. Masino added that at a recent on-site meeting in Florida, the 'No 1 question I got asked was, 'How can I get a remodel, when can I get a remodel and how do I get on the list?'"
India.com
6 minutes ago
- India.com
A Meeting That Isn't Likely To Happen: Why Putin Won't Sit Down With Zelensky – And Might Always Say No
Washington: Hopes for a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dimmed this week despite signals from Washington that such a summit could be next. After a call between Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters the two sides might consider 'raising the level of representatives' in future talks. He did not mention the leaders themselves, offering no sign Moscow is preparing for a face-to-face meeting. Speaking on state television, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow does not rule out talks in any format, but insisted top-level contacts require 'the utmost care' in preparation. The hesitation reflects Moscow's broader stance on the war. Russia recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent in 2022 and Putin has repeatedly argued Ukraine is historically and culturally inseparable from Russia. A meeting with Zelensky would force him to acknowledge Ukraine's independence, a step analysts say he is unwilling to take. Putin will have to accept the failure of sitting down with a president he considers a joke from a country that doesn't exist. And such a move could be hard to justify domestically. He has brainwashed Russians on state television that Zelensky is a Nazi, that Ukraine is a puppet state of the West, etc. He won't be able to justify his sudden talks with his Ukrainian counterpart. The Kremlin has also questioned Zelensky's mandate, pointing to postponed elections under martial law. A recent Russian 'peace' proposal required Ukraine to hold elections before any treaty. Russian officials rarely use Zelensky's name, referring instead to 'the Kyiv regime'. When Zelensky travelled to Turkey in May for direct talks, Putin stayed away and sent only a delegation led by a historian. Analysts say Putin sees little benefit in a leader-level meeting unless Ukraine is ready to make concessions. The Russian president's key demands include ceding territory still under Kyiv's control. For now, Zelensky has ruled out those terms. Putin views Trump as central to any breakthrough. The U.S. president is seen as an enabler of the Russian vision of the settlement and for that the United States is supposed to work with Kyiv to push them to be more flexible and open to Russian demands. Putin will not risk the optics of a failed summit with Zelensky. Trump, meanwhile, told supporters he had 'begun the arrangements' for a Putin-Zelensky meeting. By the next morning, his tone shifted on Fox News. 'I sort of set it up with Putin and Zelensky, and you know, they are the ones that have to call the shots. We are, we are 7,000 miles away,' he said. Putin shows no sign of compromise. He secured a summit with Trump in Alaska, avoided making concessions on a ceasefire and seen sanctions pressure falter. Russian forces escalated drone and missile strikes this week, launching 270 drones and 10 missiles on Monday night. With military pressure as his fallback, Putin still calculates leverage. The unanswered question in Washington and Moscow is if talks collapse again, who will Trump blame?
