Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar signalled on Monday his country will prioritize its own energy needs and continue to buy oil from Russia as Western governments press Moscow with a price cap to squeeze its earnings from oil exports.
Jaishankar made the comments after holding talks with his visiting German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in which they discussed bilateral relations and Russia’s war in Ukraine, reports AP.
Jaishankar said it isn’t right for European countries to prioritize their energy needs but “ask India to do something else.”
“Europe will make the choices it will make. It is their right,” he told reporters.
India has so far not committed to the $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil set by the Group of Seven major industrialized countries and the European Union that is expected to come into effect Monday.
The move is an attempt by Western governments to limit fossil fuel earnings that support Moscow’s budget, its military and its invasion of Ukraine, while also avoiding a possible sharp price spike if Russia’s oil is suddenly taken off the global market.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
