ISTANBUL
The Kremlin said on Monday that India will continue buying oil from Moscow as long as it is deemed “beneficial,” just days after a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi.
“India, being and remaining a sovereign state, carries out foreign trade operations and purchases energy resources where it is beneficial for India,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in a press briefing.
Peskov’s remarks came in response to a question on whether India would continue energy purchases from Moscow amid Washington's 50% tariff on Indian imports, partly due to its purchase of Russian oil amid the ongoing Ukraine war.
Last week, Putin traveled to New Delhi on a state visit, where he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which he expressed Moscow’s readiness to continue ensuring "uninterrupted fuel supplies" to India.
“And, as far as we understand, our Indian partners will continue this line to ensure their economic interests,” Peskov added, in response to the question.
India described the measures, which took effect in August, as “unjustified and unreasonable,” underlining that the US also continued to import “uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV (electric vehicle) industry, and fertilizers, as well as chemicals” from Russia.
US ties
The Kremlin spokesman further commented on Russia-US relations, saying that Moscow sees prospects for restoring bilateral relations with Washington if "irritants" in their relations are eliminated.
He also commented on the US administration’s new national security strategy document, expressing that there are concerns on the part of Russia about changes to the document under future administrations.
“We certainly appreciate the nuance we see in the new concept. It speaks of the need for dialogue and building constructive, positive relationships,” Peskov added.
He previously said in remarks released Sunday that the new document is “largely consistent” with Russia’s vision, adding that Moscow hopes this could be a “modest guarantee” that they will be able to continue joint constructive work with the US on finding a settlement in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump’s administration released its national security strategy document last week, outlining foreign policy and defense priorities.
The document defined negotiating an "expeditious" cessation of the over 3 1/2-year Russia-Ukraine war as a "core interest" of the US.
It said the US efforts seek to "stabilize European economies, prevent unintended escalation or expansion of the war, and reestablish strategic stability with Russia, as well as to enable the post-hostilities reconstruction of Ukraine to enable its survival as a viable state."
The document also argued that managing Europe's relations with Russia, which it said are "deeply attenuated" due to the Ukraine war, will need significant US diplomatic engagement, "both to reestablish conditions of strategic stability across the Eurasian landmass, and to mitigate the risk of conflict between Russia and European states."