India purchases Russian crude to meet its own energy requirements and support national development, not to financially assist Moscow, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov has said, pushing back against mounting Western pressure over New Delhi’s energy ties with Russia. “India does not buy Russian oil for the sake of helping Russia. It is buying oil for itself and its own national development,” Alipov said in an interaction with DD News, as India’s continued purchases of Russian crude face renewed scrutiny and the prospect of punitive measures from Washington.
The Russian envoy said New Delhi had demonstrated that it was capable of defending its national interests despite external pressure, arguing that energy security remained paramount for a country with a population of 1.4 billion.
Russia promises supplies
Alipov said Moscow remained prepared to meet India’s crude requirements regardless of attempts to restrict Russian energy exports. “We would be ready to supply as much oil as India needs,” he said, criticising countries threatening sanctions and tariffs for adopting “pressure tactics instead of honest cooperation”.
He argued that countries seeking to persuade India to reduce Russian crude purchases should instead offer New Delhi more competitive terms. Alipov said Russia’s ability to offer attractive supplies was one reason the energy relationship between the two countries had remained resilient.
Russia emerged as one of India’s biggest crude suppliers after the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, when Western sanctions and price restrictions prompted Moscow to redirect substantial volumes of oil towards Asian markets.
Russia accounted for about 30.3 per cent of India’s crude imports in 2025-26, according to Global Trade Research Initiative data cited in reports. India imported around $40.8 billion worth of Russian crude out of total crude imports valued at $134.7 billion during the financial year.
Alipov also warned that attempts to completely remove Russian crude from international markets could destabilise global energy supplies. He said energy markets could not afford the exclusion of Russian oil and predicted that the commodity would continue reaching India and other buyers.
US pressure mounts
His remarks come amid renewed pressure in Washington over countries continuing significant energy trade with Moscow. A US Senate measure has proposed giving President Donald Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from major importers of Russian crude and gas, potentially affecting India and China.
India has consistently maintained that its oil purchases are determined by national interest, affordability and energy security rather than political considerations.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently reiterated that position during a visit to Kyiv, arguing that the Ukraine conflict would not be resolved simply by pressuring countries to stop buying Russian oil, minerals, metals or fertilisers.
Jaishankar stressed the challenge of securing affordable energy for India’s 1.4 billion people and said an eventual resolution of the conflict would have to come through dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation.
Alipov, meanwhile, expressed confidence that India-Russia energy cooperation would continue despite sanctions and tariff threats, saying both countries had a clear interest in maintaining the trade — Moscow as a supplier and New Delhi as a major energy consumer.