India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar delivered a firm defence of New Delhi’s Russian oil imports during his participation at the Kultaranta Talks in Finland.

He argued that Western nations lacked the moral authority to criticise India’s energy decisions, pointing out that European-made weapons had repeatedly been used against India, whereas no Indian weapon had ever threatened Europe.

Speaking at a session on ‘Emerging Powers and the New Geopolitical Competition’, Jaishankar explained that India’s decision to purchase Russian crude following the outbreak of the Ukraine war was dictated by affordability and availability. He reminded the audience that the United States itself had encouraged India in 2022 to continue buying Russian oil in order to stabilise global markets disrupted by sanctions.

His remarks came in response to a journalist who accused India of being overly sympathetic to Russia and too willing to buy Russian oil. Jaishankar countered that circumstances had forced India’s hand. When European consumers began purchasing oil in large volumes from the Middle East, India’s traditional suppliers, New Delhi had little choice but to turn to Russian energy.

Expanding on his criticism of Europe, Jaishankar highlighted that many of the weapons supplied by European nations over the decades had ended up in the hands of countries that used them against India. 

He contrasted this with India’s record, noting that no Indian-made weapon had ever been used against a European country. “No European country has been attacked with Indian weapons. I wish I could say that for Europe weapons vis-à-vis India,” he remarked, underscoring India’s longstanding security concerns.

He reiterated that Europe had consistently sold arms which were later deployed against India, not just in recent years but across decades. This, he argued, stripped Europe of any moral standing to lecture India on its energy procurement choices.

Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, India has steadily increased its reliance on Russian energy, reaching a peak in August 2025 when imports touched approximately two million barrels per day, making Moscow India’s largest crude supplier. Jaishankar explained that India’s purchases were a matter of cost and availability, with Russian oil being the most accessible option at the time.

He also reminded the audience that Washington had directly asked India to step up Russian oil imports in 2022 to help stabilise the global energy market. “At that time, the US directly asked India to buy Russian oil to stabilise the oil market. We buy oil based on cost and availability,” he stated.

EAM Jaishankar’s remarks also drew attention to Pakistan’s reliance on European arms, which have been repeatedly used against India. The Pakistan Army has long been equipped with German rifles and machine guns produced under licence domestically.

Its Air Force operates French Mirage jets and Swedish Saab-2000 Erieye early warning aircraft, while its Navy fields five French-made Agosta class submarines. Notably, a French-made Daphne class submarine sank the Indian Navy frigate INS Khukri during the 1971 war.

By highlighting these examples, Jaishankar made clear that India’s reliance on Russian oil was a pragmatic decision rooted in national interest and energy security. He stressed that Europe and the West lacked the moral authority to criticise India, given their own history of arms sales that had directly endangered Indian security.

Agencies