India ‘studying implications’ of US sanctions on Russian oil firms, says guided by ‘needs of 1.4 billion people’

He stressed that India’s energy policy is shaped by “the imperative to secure affordable energy from diverse sources,” adding that the country’s oil imports are based on national interest rather than geopolitical alignments.

“Our position on the larger question of energy sourcing is well known. In this endeavour, we are guided by the imperative to secure affordable energy from diverse sources to meet the energy security needs of our 1.4 billion people,” he said.

VIDEO | Delhi: “Our imperative is to secure energy from diverse sources to meet energy needs of our people”, says MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) on India’s crude procurement.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/IkpktbTlQD

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 30, 2025

The US imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil last week as part of efforts to intensify economic pressure on Russia amid its ongoing war in Ukraine.

The development also comes amid strain in India–US relations after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and an additional 25 per cent levy linked to India’s imports of Russian oil — measures New Delhi has described as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.”

Meanwhile, Jaiswal confirmed that India and the US remain engaged in negotiations on a proposed trade pact, following US President Donald Trump’s remarks in South Korea that Washington is “doing a trade deal with India.”

“We continue to remain engaged with the US side to conclude a trade deal, and these discussions are continuing,” Jaiswal said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also discussed the proposed trade agreement and regional issues with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite recent frictions, Jaiswal said the US has granted India a six-month waiver from American sanctions on the Chabahar port project, which is seen as a key component of India’s regional connectivity strategy.