New Delhi: India’s total purchase of oil from Russia in a month is probably less than what Europe does in an afternoon, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
“I noticed you refer to oil purchases. If you are looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe. We do buy some energy, which is necessary for our energy security. But I suspect looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon,” Jaishankar told a reporter when asked about India’s oil purchase from Russia.
Jaishankar was addressing a joint news conference with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh along with their American counterparts Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, after the conclusion of the 2+2 ministerial.
The White House too came in India’s defense on the issue of oil purchase noting that its total purchase is less than one and two percent as against 10 percent from the United States.
“I’ll let Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the Indians speak to that. Again, it’s 1 to 2 percent at this point in time. They import 10 percent from the United States. It is not a violation of any sanctions or anything along those lines. It was a constructive, direct conversation. But I will let them speak for themselves,” she said.
During the virtual summit earlier in the day, President Joe Biden conveyed that the United States is here to help India to diversify its means of importing oil.
