India's Ambassador to the UK: Russian Oil? Do You Want Us to Shut Down the Economy?
Today 08:38
Picture of India's High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami.
India's High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, criticized Western calls to abandon Russian oil and reminded European countries not to be hypocritical.
"Our relationship with Russia is built on multiple levels. One of them is our long-term cooperation in the security field, which can be traced back to a period — when some of our Western partners did not sell us weapons, but sold them to our neighbors, who bought weapons only to attack us."
The ambassador said during a program on Times Radio.
"Secondly, there are energy links between us now, because all other countries are buying energy from the sources we once purchased energy from. As a result, we have been pushed out of the energy market, and energy prices have also risen. Moreover, we are the third-largest energy consumer in the world, with more than 80% of our energy depending on imports. What do you expect us to do? Shut down our economy?" said Vikram Doraiswami.
He added that India sees other countries maintaining relationships with countries that cause trouble for India for their own convenience.
Previously, the EU passed its 18th round of sanctions, banning the import of petroleum products made from Russian oil from January 26, 2026. In addition, Brussels imposed restrictions on Nayara Energ, a company co-owned by Rosneft, the Russian oil company. The company owns India's second-largest refinery.
India's refineries are major exporters of diesel to the EU, exporting about 20 million tons annually.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7532402853768462863/
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