Russia Slams US Pressure On India Over Oil Trade

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MOSCOW (ANI)- Russia on February 27 criticized the US for its “inappropriate and counter-productive” demands that India stop unloading Russian oil tankers.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova emphasized that India has not officially joined Western-initiated restrictive measures against Russia. She reiterated that Russia categorically rejects unilateral coercive measures, particularly in the energy sector.

“We have noted the recent US demands for India to unload tankers carrying Russian oil by February 27. It is important to emphasize that India has not officially joined the illegitimate restrictive measures that the West initiated,” Zakharova said.

“Given the particularly privileged and strategic nature of our relationship with India, we consider it inappropriate and counter-productive to comment on Washington’s statement. However, we reiterate that Russia categorically rejects unilateral pressure, including in the energy sector,” she added.

A January 2025 Morgan Stanley report predicted that US sanctions on Russia’s oil sector could disrupt its exports, create supply challenges, and impact India’s imports. The sanctions imposed restrictions on two major Russian oil producers—Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz—as well as 157 tankers, insurance firms, oilfield service providers, and traders.

India has consistently maintained that it is open to importing crude oil from all possible sources to meet its demand. It has diversified its crude imports from 27 countries to 40, with Argentina as a recent addition. Major suppliers include the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iraq.