India is welcome to export its goods to Russia if it encounters obstacles in the US market, a senior Russian diplomat said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Roman Babushkin described the US pressure on India over its purchase of Russian crude oil as “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."
He added, "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."
Babushkin’s remarks came a day after US White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on India to discourage Russia from continuing the Ukraine conflict. The additional 25 per cent duty is scheduled to take effect on August 27. Earlier, the US had warned of sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries importing its oil if no steps were taken to end the war in Ukraine. China and India are the top two buyers of Russian oil.
The diplomat’s comments coincide with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s three-day visit to Russia, during which he is expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Babushkin said, "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." He added, "They behave like neocolonial powers that think of their own benefit. This pressure is unjustified and unilateral."
He further stated, "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 India). We know about the challenging circumstances for India. This is the true strategic partnership we are enjoying. Whatever happens, even during challenges, we are committed to removing any problems."
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent conversation with President Vladimir Putin, Babushkin said, "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 added that despite years of sanctions, trade between India and Russia has continued to grow, noting, "In recent years, our trade has grown by 7 times."
Babushkin also highlighted rising tensions between the US and India, saying, "Washington would not behave like that if it considered New Delhi its friend. 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 stressed that Russia and BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) nations do not impose sanctions, calling non-UN and secondary sanctions illegal and intended to weaponize the economy.
"You will never see sanctions imposed by Russia or within BRICS organisations where we together participate. Non-United Nations sanctions and secondary sanctions are illegal. They just weaponise the economy. Despite the tremendous sanction pressure on Russia, you will see the Russian economy is growing steadily. It means that you cannot exclude from the global economy such a big and important country like Russia with its tremendous energy, industrial and human potential, meaning that sanctions fail and moreover, they hit those who are imposing them," he said.
On August 6, Trump escalated his tariff measures against India, imposing an additional 25 per cent duty, later doubled to 50 per cent, over New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil. India condemned the move as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," warning that it would adversely affect sectors like textiles, marine, and leather exports. Prime Minister Modi had earlier asserted that India would not yield to economic pressure.
With this action, India faces the highest US tariff of 50 per cent alongside Brazil. Both Russia and China, among others, have criticized Trump for exerting illegal trade pressure on India.
Speaking on Tuesday, Leavitt explained that the sanctions were intended to put secondary pressure on Russia. "Look, 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. He's made himself very clear that he wants to see this war end, and he has scoffed at the ideas of others that have been raised that we should wait another month before any meeting takes place," she said in Washington.
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