We import less oil from Russia in a month than Europe does in an afternoon: India

"We continue to urge all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapons systems, particularly in light of what Russia is doing to Ukraine," US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken said at a press conference after the India-US 2+2 meeting.

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hold a joint news conference during the fourth U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue at the State Department in Washington. (Reuters)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Tuesday said that India imports less oil from Russia than Europe does in an afternoon when asked about India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine war and its foreign policy goals.

Responding to questions after the India-US 2+2 meeting between the two sides, 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, which probably 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. So you might want to think about that.”

“Now, as Secretary Blinken has pointed out, we have made a number of statements which outline our position in the UN, in our parliament, and in other forums. And briefly, what those positions state is that we’re against the conflict; we are for dialogue and diplomacy; we are for an urgent cessation of violence; and we are prepared to contribute in multiple ways to these objectives,” said the External Affairs Minister, who was asked why India does not condemn Russia.

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Also Read | US monitoring some recent ‘concerning’ human rights violations in India: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken, meanwhile, said that the US has “not yet made a determination regarding potential sanctions or potential waivers under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) law” when it comes to India’s purchase of S-400 air defence systems.

“So, let me start by saying that we continue to urge all countries to avoid major new transactions for Russian weapons systems, particularly in light of what Russia is doing to Ukraine. We have not yet made a determination regarding potential sanctions or potential waivers under the CAATSA law,” he said.

“But to come back to something I said a few moments ago, there is, of course, a long history and a long relationship between India and Russia, including when it comes to military equipment. That relationship took hold many years ago at a time when, as I said, we were not able to be a partner to India. And again, as I said, we are now both able and willing to be such a partner, to be a security partner of choice for India,” he said.

On the human rights situation in India, Blinken said, “We also share a commitment to our democratic values, such as protecting human rights. We regularly engage with our Indian partners on these shared values, and to that end, we’re monitoring some recent concerning developments in India, including a rise in human rights abuses by some government, police, and prison officials.”

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This is unusual for a US Secretary of State to make such assertions, in the presence of a visiting Indian Foreign minister. But this is in sync with a Democratic administration’s focus on human rights.

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