India should disregard NATO threat on doing business with Russia
The Ministry of External Affairs' sharp rebuttal on Thursday — underlining that the energy requirements of the Indian people are the overriding priority, and cautioning against 'double standards' — serves as a timely reminder to the West, particularly Europe, of its own manoeuvres in pursuit of energy security. Yes, India was quick to seize the opportunity to purchase discounted Russian oil after the West imposed price caps and turned away from it. But while Russia's emergence as India's top crude supplier has helped meet domestic energy demand and stabilise prices, it is no secret that a substantial volume of refined fuel, derived from the Russian oil imported to India, is ultimately exported to Europe. A CREA report noted that by late 2024, 'capitalising on the refining loophole', India had become the EU's largest exporter of oil products. Europe also imported LNG at record levels from Russia last year.
The sanctions threat to its trade partners is intended to choke Russia's war funding and pressure President Vladimir Putin into agreeing to a ceasefire. In doing so, however, the US and NATO risk undermining their relationship with one of the world's largest economies and an essential ally in the Indo-Pacific. The West cannot have it both ways: Penalise India for pursuing national interest while simultaneously expecting cooperation in regional and global initiatives. It is high time the West engaged with India as an equal partner. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday that there was nothing to worry about even if sanctions were activated because India has expanded its crude sourcing slate. New Delhi should remain firm in pursuing its own path, even as the West seeks to dictate terms.
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"This very, very timely and productive visit has provided an opportunity to both countries and both leaders to review our very close cooperation and to continue to build further on it. The two sides, as I said in the beginning, reviewed the joint vision for the India-Maldives Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, and as a result of the discussions today, arrived at the conclusion that we should continue to implement various elements of this vision, and explore newer avenues to collaborate further between the two sides."
