Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar Criticizes European Double Standards on Russian Oil and Arms Sales

Delhi. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has given a strong response to European countries criticizing India's Russia policy. Minister Jaishankar criticized Europe's double standards in questioning New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil, noting that European countries have been selling weapons that have been used against India for years.

He said, 'Europe sells weapons that are used against India. This has been happening for many years, not just now. We Indians have never done anything that endangers Europe.'

Defending India's energy choices, he also revealed that the US itself encouraged India to buy Russian crude oil to stabilize the global oil market after sanctions were imposed on Moscow in 2022.

He made these remarks during a discussion on 'Emerging Powers and New Geopolitical Competition' at the ' as a result of the Ukraine conflict, India has shown 'much sympathy towards Russia' and is heavily reliant on Russian oil.

Jaishankar clarified that his decision to purchase energy was driven by economic considerations, not geopolitics, and that Russian oil became the most convenient option due to the changing market conditions after the Ukraine war.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar questioned the contradictory stance of Western countries on issues of sanctions, trade, and energy security, warning against applying selective standards to complex geopolitical issues.