'Do we switch off…economy?': Indian envoy defends Russia oil imports
What's the story
Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, has defended India's continued oil imports from Russia amid Western criticism. Speaking to Times Radio, he said India can't be expected to "switch off its economy" over geopolitical issues. He pointed out that many European countries continue buying energy products from the same nations they refuse to let India buy from.
Energy ties
What would you have us do?: Doraiswami
Doraiswami emphasized that India's energy relationship with Russia is a result of being displaced from the market. "We've been displaced out of the energy market largely, and the costs have gone up. We are the third-largest consumer of energy in the world. We import over 80% of our product." "What would you have us do? Switch off our economy?" he asked, stressing that current circumstances necessitate this relationship.
Security ties
India-Russia security ties
Doraiswami also spoke about India's long-standing security relationship with Russia. He said this relationship dates back to a time when Western partners wouldn't sell weapons to India but would sell them to neighboring countries that used them against India. This historical context is one of the metrics on which India's ties with Russia are based, he explained.
Criticism response
India receives flak for ties with Russia, Putin
Doraiswami's remarks come after India received flak from the West for its close ties with Russia and President Vladimir Putin. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said "this isn't an era of war," stressing India's desire for peace in global conflicts. Despite Western sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war, India continues to import Russian oil at discounted rates.