India's Energy Fortress: Defending Russian Oil Ties Amid Trump Tantrums, EU Hypocrisy & Pak Perils
As Trump threatens tariffs and the West lectures us on morality, India's stance is clear: We'll safeguard our interests, hypocrisy be damned.
Picture this: A bombastic American president, fresh off a controversial re-election, struts into the White House claiming he single-handedly averted a nuclear apocalypse between India and Pakistan. His cheerleader? None other than Pakistan's Army Chief General Asim Munir, who, in a June 2025 White House lunch schmooze, personally endorsed Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. 'I stopped the war," Trump boasted, crediting himself with brokering a ceasefire during the tense India-Pakistan standoff earlier that year. Sounds like a script from a high-stakes Bollywood drama, complete with shadowy alliances and ego-driven plot twists. But in the real-world theatre of 2025 geopolitics, this 'bonhomie" isn't just bizarre – it's a red flag for India. As New Delhi fortifies its borders against Islamabad's perennial provocations, energy security emerges as the unsung shield in our arsenal. Russian oil, discounted and dependable, isn't a luxury; it's the fuel keeping India's economic engine roaring and its defences primed. Yet, as Trump threatens tariffs and the West lectures us on morality, India's stance is clear: We'll safeguard our interests, hypocrisy be damned.
This isn't hyperbole. On August 4, 2025, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson delivered a masterclass in diplomatic rebuttal, targeting the United States and European Union for their selective outrage over India's Russian oil imports. The statement, issued amid escalating US pressure, reminded the world that India ramped up these imports post the Ukraine conflict because traditional Middle Eastern supplies were diverted to Europe. Far from a sneaky manoeuvre, this shift was actively encouraged by the US back in 2022 to stabilise global energy markets. Remember those days? When Western leaders, including then President Joe Biden, quietly nodded as India scooped up discounted Russian crude to prevent skyrocketing prices worldwide. Fast-forward to Trump 2.0, and the tune has flipped: Now, India's purchases are labelled as 'financing Russia's war," with Trump's top aide Stephen Miller declaring it 'not acceptable." Trump himself vowed to 'substantially raise" tariffs on Indian goods – potentially slapping 50 per cent duties on everything from steel to textiles – unless India halts the flow.
But let's peel back the layers of this American about-face. Trump's contradictions on India and Russia are as glaring as his golden escalator rides. During his first term, Trump hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'great guy" and a 'true friend," even coining the 'Howdy Modi" spectacle in Houston. He praised India's economic might while pushing for stronger ties against China. Yet, on trade, he branded India the 'tariff king," accusing us of 'obnoxious" policies and imposing duties on our exports.
Fast-forward to 2025: Despite India's strategic pivot toward the US – evidenced by the Quad alliance and billions in American arms purchases – Trump's threats expose the fragility of that 'friendship." Analysts estimate that shifting away from Russian oil could hike India's import bill by $9-11 billion annually, squeezing refiners' margins and fuelling inflation at home. Why the flip-flop? Trump's 'America First" mantra, now turbocharged, sees India as a convenient scapegoat to project toughness on Russia while ignoring his own administration's past encouragements.
Trump's ammo drawer is full of such self-contradictory zingers. Take his 2019 claim of mediating Kashmir: 'If I can help, I would love to be a mediator," he announced alongside Pakistani PM Imran Khan, re-hyphenating India-Pakistan in a way that irked New Delhi. India swiftly rebuffed it, insisting on bilateral talks only. Trump backed off, chickening out as usual when confronted with complexity. Or consider his Afghan withdrawal fiasco in 2021, where he negotiated with the Taliban but left chaos for Biden to inherit – another bold promise, zero delivery. On Russia, Trump's admiration for Vladimir Putin is legendary: 'He's a genius," he said of the Ukraine invasion in 2022.
Yet now, he's punishing India for buying Russian oil while floating ideas of a quick Ukraine peace deal that could ease sanctions on Moscow. This isn't statesmanship; it's a man chasing headlines, always ready to crow about victories but vanishing when the heat intensifies. As one Indian commentator quipped on X, Trump's foreign policy is like a Diwali firecracker – loud, flashy, and over in a puff of smoke.
Europe's double standards add another layer of irony to this farce. The MEA statement didn't mince words: The EU's 2024 bilateral trade with Russia hit €67.5 billion in goods, plus €17.2 billion in services the prior year – eclipsing India's total trade with Moscow. While Brussels bans Russian coal and seaborne crude, loopholes abound. EU LNG imports from Russia surged to a record 16.5 million tonnes in 2024, up from 15.21 million in 2022, as countries like Germany and France reroute supplies via third parties. Pipelines like Nord Stream may be sabotaged, but Russian gas still flows through Ukraine and Turkey, with the EU paying billions. In June 2025 alone, the top five EU importers shelled out €1.2 billion for Russian fossil fuels and it's not just energy: Fertilisers, chemicals, iron, steel, and machinery keep pouring in, sustaining Russia's war machine. Critics in the European Parliament have lambasted this as 'double standards," with Russian oil slipping through via shadow fleets and refined products from India – ironically, the same oil the West once urged us to buy.
Why the hypocrisy? Europe's energy transition is a work in progress; renewables cover only 40 per cent of needs, leaving a gaping hole filled by Russian imports. The EU's 18th sanctions package in July 2025 tightened the oil price cap to $47.6 per barrel, but enforcement is patchy. Meanwhile, they preach to India, where Russian crude accounts for 40 per cent of imports, saving us $13 billion in 2024 alone. From January to June 2025, India imported 1.75 million barrels per day from Russia, a modest 1 per cent rise year-on-year, keeping pump prices stable and inflation in check. For a nation of 1.4 billion, where energy demand grows 7 per cent annually, this isn't indulgence – it's survival. As MEA noted, our imports ensure 'predictable and affordable energy costs" for consumers, compelled by global market dynamics.
Now, weave in India's security concerns, amplified by the Trump-Munir Nobel saga. The India-Pakistan conflict isn't a dusty relic; it's a simmering cauldron. In May 2025, during 'Operation Sindoor," Indian forces targeted terror camps across the LoC, prompting Pakistani retaliation and global jitters. Trump inserted himself, claiming credit for the ceasefire while Munir, the ex-ISI chief who oversaw operations during Osama bin Laden's hideout days, nominated him for the Nobel. This isn't peace; it's PR. Pakistan's army, under Munir, still harbours anti-India militants, with cross-border incursions up 20 per cent in 2024. Trump's endorsement ignores this, potentially emboldening Islamabad. Remember his 2018 tweet blasting Pakistan for 'lies and deceit" while giving them billions? By 2025, he's hosting their chief and accepting Nobel nods. Classic chicken-out: Tough talk, then cosy deals.
For India, energy security dovetails with defence. Russian ties provide not just oil but S-400 systems, Sukhoi jets, and BrahMos missiles – critical against Pakistan's threats. Diversifying to US or Middle Eastern oil would cost dearly, diverting funds from military upgrades. Trump's penalties could force a pivot, but as officials affirm, India won't budge. We're investing $500 billion in renewables by 2030, but until then, Russian crude is our bridge.
The US isn't innocent either. Despite sanctions, America imports Russian uranium hexafluoride for nuclear plants, palladium for EVs, and fertilisers – vital for its industries. Trump's threats ring hollow when his own country skirts the edges. As for Europe, their 'unprecedented" sanctions in July 2025 promise a faster Russian gas phase-out from 2026, but past promises have fizzled. Opinion pieces decry the West expecting India to 'pay for its own Russia fiasco."
In this multipolar maze, India's playbook is pragmatic: Balance Russia, the US, and Europe while prioritising self-reliance. Trump's contradictions – praising Modi one day, tariff-bombing the next – underscore why we can't bet on fleeting alliances. The Munir endorsement? A stark reminder that Pakistan's gamesmanship, backed by Trump's ego, demands vigilance. As tensions simmer, India's energy fortress stands firm – affordable, secure, and unapologetic.
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Targeting us is 'unjustified and unreasonable," as MEA put it. Like any major economy, India will take all measures to safeguard national interests and economic security. If the West wants solidarity, lead by example: Cut your Russian ties first. Until then, spare us the lectures. In geopolitics, as in cricket, India plays to win – on our terms.
Group Capt MJ Augustine Vinod VSM (retd) posts on X at @mjavinod. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
About the Author
Group Capt MJ Augustine Vinod VSM (Retd)
Group Capt MJ Augustine Vinod VSM (retd) tweets at @mjavinod
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First Published:
August 07, 2025, 09:45 IST
News opinion Opinion | India's Energy Fortress: Defending Russian Oil Ties Amid Trump Tantrums, EU Hypocrisy & Pak Perils
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