Kamal Ghorui
MUNICH: US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said that India has committed to stop buying Russian oil, days after New Delhi reiterated that “national interests” would be the “guiding factor” for energy procurement.US President Donald Trump, while announcing a trade deal with New Delhi early in Feb, had said India had agreed to not procure crude oil from Russia. Since then, the US has made this claim multiple times.Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Rubio said, “In our conversations with India, we’ve gotten their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil.” He was responding to a question on the Russia-Ukraine war and the sanctions imposed on Moscow.Responding to a question on whether the trade deal with the US would affect energy ties with Russia at the same conference, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had earlier said India remained firmly committed to strategic autonomy “because it’s a part of our history and our evolution. It’s something which is very deep, and something which cuts across the political spectrum as well.”The minister described the global oil market as complex and dynamic. “Oil companies in India, as in Europe, as probably in other parts of the world, look at availability, look at costs, look at risks and take the decisions that they feel are in their best interest,” Jaishankar said. After announcing the deal, Trump had in an executive order rolled back the additional 25% tariffs on India that he imposed in Aug over procurement of crude oil from Russia.
