External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in Munich, Germany for a security meeting (File).
New Delhi:
India and Russia share a “stable and very friendly” relationship and Moscow has “never harmed its interests”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told German daily Handelsblatt this week, citing long-standing ties between the two countries. While defending the relationship, because the West is insisting on ending it. War in Ukraine.
The comments come amid hushed whispers that New Delhi could help unravel the violence that has killed more than 70,000 civilians and soldiers, according to December intelligence from the United States.
“Everyone maintains relationships based on past experiences. If I look at the history of India post-independence, Russia has never harmed our interests. We have always had stable and very friendly relations… And today our relationship with Moscow is based on this.” On this experience.”
India-Russia relations have been under scrutiny since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, leading to arms aid to Kiev from the West and financial sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe, including purchases of Russian crude oil. Is. However, a pragmatic Indian government has continued its purchases, at deep discounts, to feed the oil-hungry economy.
Mr Jaishankar said in Munich, Germany for a security meeting Handelsblatt (behind paywall) He sees no alternative at this time except buying Russian crude; He has repeatedly defended India on this subject.
He also pointed out that after sanctions were imposed on Russia, rich Western countries could buy – unlike Delhi – from Middle East suppliers at inflated prices, and India continued to buy from Moscow and soften international oil prices. .
Read | S Jaishankar criticizes Europe’s “double standards” on Russian oil
“If no one bought crude oil from Russia and everyone bought crude oil from other countries, prices on the energy market would have gone up even more,” he told the German publication.
Read | India’s oil imports from Russia hit 12-month low in January
Mr Jaishankar has earlier pointed out that India’s Russian oil purchases are modest compared to the quantities previously purchased by European countries.
He told NDTV in August last year that every country is trying to get the best possible deal for its citizens and minimize the impact of high energy prices, and pointed out that India is no different.
A year earlier, a few months after the war broke out, he had said, “…if you are considering energy purchases from Russia, I suggest you focus on Europe. We buy some… “Which is necessary… but I suspect our total purchases for the month will be less than what we do in Europe in one afternoon.”
This comment was made with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Read | Blinken by his side, S Jaishankar’s “smart” answer to Russia’s question
On the question of the West not supporting India during the military standoff with China in Ladakh in June 2020, Mr Jaishankar said he did not expect the West to understand the nuances of India’s relations with China, like it would probably sub- Don’t appreciate the lessons. His relations with Beijing
“My point is this…just as I do not expect Europe to have the same view of China as I do, Europe must understand that I cannot have the same view of Russia as the Europeans. Let’s accept that relations There are natural differences…” the Union minister said in Munich for a security conference.
Mr Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held brief talks in Munich on Saturday; This happened when the Chinese ministers were leaving the stage and the Indian leaders were walking ahead.
Look S Jaishankar’s brief conversation with Chinese counterpart in Munich
Last month, Mr Jaishankar, speaking at an event in Mumbai, described global politics as a “competitive game” and stressed that India should never be “afraid” of China.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click the link To get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
