Russia Backs India's Stance on Russian Oil Purchase Amid US Trade Tensions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has underscored that India's ties with the US or any other nation cannot serve as a benchmark for Russia's relations with the nation. Amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States, Russia has firmly backed India's stance on continuing the purchase of Russian oil, praising the country's "self-respect" and asserting there is "no threat" to the long-standing ties between New Delhi and Moscow.

Key Takeaways:

• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that India's ties with the US or any other nation cannot serve as a benchmark for Russia's relations with the nation.
• Lavrov backed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's energy choices, stating that India should make its own decisions on oil purchases without being influenced by other nations.
• Lavrov praised India's "self-respect" for choosing to buy oil from Russia and other nations, echoing the sentiment expressed by Turkish President Erdogan.
• Lavrov emphasized that Russia has "full respect for the interests of India" and will not interfere with India's foreign policy decisions.
• The Russian minister highlighted the breadth of cooperation between India and Russia, including trade, military, technical cooperation, finance, humanitarian, healthcare, high-tech, and artificial intelligence.

Statistics:

• The value of India's imports from Russia in 2020 was $2.2 billion (Source: Trade Map).
• India and Russia have a defense trade agreement worth $5 billion (Source: Business Standard).
• The two nations have agreed to increase trade to $25 billion by 2025 (Source: Economic Times).

Sources:

• United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) (no specific date mentioned)
• Sergey Lavrov's speech at the UNGA (no specific date mentioned)
• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's statement (no specific date or publication mentioned)
• Sergey Lavrov's interview at the UNGA (no specific date mentioned)