Ex-US ambassador backs India's Russian oil purchase in old video
What's the story
A video of former United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has resurfaced amid the diplomatic tensions between India and the US over Indian imports of Russian oil. In the video, Garcetti admits that it was actually the US that encouraged New Delhi to buy Russian oil to stabilize global prices. "They bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap," he said.
Twitter Post
Video in which Garcetti makes admission
“They (India) bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap. We didn’t want oil prices going up and they fulfilled that.”
— Dr. Jaswant Gandhi 🇮🇳 (@JaswantDr) August 4, 2025
— Eric Garcetti, Former US ambassador to India said last year
But TACO 🇺🇸 has dropped all common sense for a trade deal. pic.twitter.com/wosSj1ymjV
Official backing
US officials previously backed India's oil trade with Russia
The video has reignited discussions of past statements by senior US officials, who had openly backed India's oil trade with Russia. In 2022, then US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had said India was free to buy as much Russian oil as it wanted. "India and private Indian oil companies can also purchase oil at any price they want as long as they don't use these Western services," she said.
Market stabilization
India's role in stabilizing global energy markets acknowledged
US Assistant Secretary of State Geoffrey Pyatt also acknowledged India's contribution to stabilizing global energy markets through its purchases of Russian crude. India is the largest buyer of seaborne Russian crude and has rejected reports of halting oil trade with Russia. The government has said that its purchases are driven by market factors, including discounted pricing.
Diplomatic tensions
Trump's accusations against India and potential penalties
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has accused India of "financing" Russia's war effort in Ukraine through its oil trade. He has also imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports and threatened further penalties over the trade. In response to these accusations, India defended its energy policy as "unjustified and unreasonable." The government reiterated that India's energy sourcing decisions are based on market dynamics and national interest.
Hypocrisy accusation
India emphasizes US's role in encouraging Russian oil imports
India also pointed out that the US had actively encouraged such imports for global energy market stability. The government said, "The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability." Despite the stalled trade deal negotiations over key sectors like agriculture and dairy, India remains willing to continue talks with Washington.