EAM Jaishankar defends India's decision to buy Russian oil, questions Europe on arms exports
Helsinki, June 12
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday strongly defended India's decision to buy Russian oil, stressing that New Delhi's choices were based on cost and availability considerations and criticised European nations over their arms exports.
Speaking during the panel discussion at Kultaranta Talks with his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen and the UAE's Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh on 'Emerging Powers and the New Geopolitical Competition' in the Finnish capital on Thursday, EAM Jaishankar rejected criticism of India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Asked about Europe viewing India's stance on the Ukraine conflict as being "too sympathetic to Russia" and "too willing to buy oil from Russia", he said: "I'll make two observations. I buy oil based on cost and availability. So, at that point in time, much of the oil available in the market was Russian because Europeans were essentially buying oil from the Middle East, which was our traditional supplier. So, circumstances pushed us in a certain direction."
EAM Jaishankar also highlighted that European nations export weapons that have later been used to attack India, while no Indian weapon has ever been used to target any European nation.
"Since you spoke about moral ambiguity, I would say that no European country has been attacked with Indian weapons. I wish I could say that for European weapons vis-a-vis India. So, keep that in mind," he said.
Asked to elaborate, he reiterated India's security concerns regarding Europe's arms supplies.
"Europeans sell weapons, which are used to attack India, not now, but for many years. We Indians have never done anything to endanger Europe. I think that's a reasonable point."
India has consistently defended its imports of Russian oil, stating that its global energy imports are guided by national interest, citizen welfare and domestic energy security priorities and called for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally someone called out the hypocrisy! European countries keep saying India needs to take a stand, but they conveniently forget their own arms exports to our neighborhood. Jaishankar ji said it perfectly - no Indian weapon has ever harmed a European nation. Point proven. 🇮🇳
While I support India's energy choices, I think we should gradually reduce dependence on any single supplier. Diversification is key for long-term security. But the European argument about 'moral ambiguity' is totally baseless given their own record. Good response from our EAM.
As an expat living in India, I can see both sides. But Jaishankar's point about European weapons being used against India is a fair one. The West often expects developing nations to follow their lead without acknowledging their own double standards. India's foreign policy is pragmatic, not pro-Russian.
The way Jaishankar answered that question was classic Indian diplomacy - factual, straightforward, and shutting down the argument with logic. Europe wants us to sacrifice our energy security for their geopolitical game. No thanks! We'll look after our own people first. 👏
I appreciate the government's clear stance on this. Energy security is national security. But I hope we're also using this opportunity to strengthen domestic renewable energy production. The long-term goal should be to become energy independent, not just switch one supplier for another.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.