This is an archive article published on May 17, 2023
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EU foreign policy chief: Act on India selling fuel made with Russian crude
Responding later, Jaishankar said: “My understanding of the Council regulations is that Russian crude, if substantially transformed in a third country, is not treated as Russian anymore.”
European Union’s foreign and security policy chief Josep Borrell (File Photo)
For the first time since India has been buying cheap Russian oil over the last year or so, European Union’s foreign and security policy chief — equivalent to foreign minister — Josep Borrell said the EU should crack down on India reselling Russian oil as refined fuels, including diesel, to Europe.
Borrell told The Financial Times that Brussels was aware that Indian refiners were buying large volumes of Russian crude oil and processing it into fuels for sale in Europe, adding that the EU should act to stop it.
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“If diesel or gasoline is entering Europe… coming from India and being produced with Russian oil, that is certainly a circumvention of sanctions, and member states have to take measures,” he said.
He made these remarks ahead of his meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Brussels.
Responding later, Jaishankar said: “My understanding of the Council regulations is that Russian crude, if substantially transformed in a third country, is not treated as Russian anymore.”
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Indian refiners exported an average of around 284,000 barrels per day (bpd) of refined petroleum products to Europe in the December-April period, up from about 170,000 bpd in the year-ago period, shows data from Vortexa.
From being a marginal supplier of crude oil to India before the war in Ukraine, Russia dethroned heavyweights like Iraq and Saudi Arabia to emerge as Delhi’s biggest source of crude.
European Union’s foreign and security policy chief Josep Borrell (File Photo) 
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