'Do We Switch Off Our Economy?': Indian Envoy Slams Western Criticism Over Russian Oil Imports (VIDEO)

London: India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, has issued a sharp rebuttal to ongoing Western criticism over New Delhi’s continued oil imports from Russia, questioning the fairness and logic behind such scrutiny. In an interview with Times radio last week, Doraiswami defended India’s position, making it clear that energy security for a country of India’s size cannot be compromised under external pressure.

“Do we switch off our economy?” the envoy asked, as he spoke about the growing energy needs of India’s population and economy. He stressed that India has simply responded to shifts in global energy flows following sanctions on Russia by Western nations after the 2022 Ukraine invasion, and is not alone in engaging with Moscow.

Have a look at the interview here:

'Energy Pragmatism, Not Politics

Doraiswami pointed out that many European nations critical of India's stance are themselves continuing to trade in rare earths and other energy goods with the same countries they expect India to disengage from. “Don’t you think that that seems a little odd?” he said, hinting at a double standard in global diplomacy.

India, which imports over 80 percent of its energy, was displaced from its traditional suppliers due to rising global demand and shifting Western priorities. “Everybody else is buying energy from sources we used to buy from earlier,” Doraiswami noted, adding that New Delhi had to find cost-effective alternatives, like Russia offering steep discounts being one of them.

Security Ties Amid War

Defending India’s broader relationship with Russia, Doraiswami said it rests on several historical and strategic factors. “Our long-standing security relationship goes back to an era in which some of our Western partners wouldn’t sell us weapons, but would sell them to countries in our neighbourhood that use them only to attack us,” he remarked.

Addressing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the envoy reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s consistent message, “This isn’t an era of war.” He added that Modi had conveyed this both to President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky, and that India was eager for peace, “just as we are keen for conflicts across the world to stop.”

Published on: Monday, July 28, 2025, 03:50 PM IST