India buying oil from Russia doesn't violate sanctions, says US

Washington, Nov 09: The United States on Tuesday, while responding to India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Russia, said that the Indian minister's statements echoed what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier said about this not being 'an era of war'. The US also said that India importing oil from Russia does not violate sanctions imposed on the latter.

"Messages we heard from foreign minister Jaishankar in Russia were not dissimilar in some ways from what we heard from Prime Minister Modi that this is not an era of war," US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

The US State Department spokesperson further said, "...India again reaffirms that it stands against this war.. it wants to see dialogue and diplomacy."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the statement - this is not an era of war - when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in September this year.

While talking about India's energy import from Russia, the spokesperson said that importing energy does not violate the sanctions imposed on Russia.

Price said, "India has a high demand for energy it continues to seek oil and other forms of energy from Russia, that is not something runs afoul of the sanctions imposed on Russia."

Price also added, "The US has been clear about exempting oil, gas and energy sector from the sanctions that have been imposed on Russia."

The response of the US came a day after India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Russia reiterated during the press conference that "buying Russian oil is to India's advantage and India will continue doing that."

Jaishankar is on his first 2-day visit to Russia since the war started between Russia and Ukraine in February this year. Jaishankar made several statements on Tuesday after meeting his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

Talking about India-Russia relations, the EAM said, "India and Russia have an "exceptionally" steady and time-tested relationship and the objective now is to fashion a balanced, mutually beneficial and long-term engagement in the backdrop of the increasing economic cooperation."

Notably, India has been buying oil from sanctions-hit Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict that started earlier this year. The western countries led by the US imposed sanctions on Russian oil following the war that erupted in February this year.

According to reports, Russia has become India's top oil supplier in October 2022.

With input from ANI