“India Russian oil sanctions have become a major geopolitical flashpoint as New Delhi pushes back against U.S. pressure over Moscow crude imports.“
BRICS meeting in New Delhi turns into sharp warning on sanctions
India publicly hit back at Western sanctions policy on Thursday as Russian oil imports climbed sharply ahead of a May 16 deadline tied to a temporary U.S. waiver.
Speaking at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar criticized “unilateral coercive measures” and said sanctions inconsistent with international law were hurting developing economies already dealing with energy shocks and conflict in West Asia.
“These unjustifiable measures cannot substitute dialogue, nor can pressure replace diplomacy”, Jaishankar said during the meeting at Bharat Mandapam. The remarks came with India importing nearly 1.96 million barrels per day of Russian crude in May, according to shipping analytics firm Kpler. Imports stood at 1.57 million barrels per day in April and 1.98 million in March.
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Russian crude becomes critical amid Gulf tensions
India’s dependence on Russian oil has deepened as instability around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz disrupted energy markets and raised shipping costs. The U.S. granted temporary waivers in March allowing certain Russian oil transactions to continue after conflict in West Asia rattled global supply chains. The current waiver expires Saturday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on April 25 that another extension was unlikely. “I wouldn’t imagine that we’d have another extension”, he told reporters, adding that most sanctioned cargoes had already been purchased. Despite sanctions pressure, Indian refiners accelerated purchases from Moscow. Industry data showed some Russian crude grades were trading at premiums of up to $5 per barrel due to demand from Asian buyers.
Russia, Iran and India all had senior officials present at the BRICS gathering. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended meetings alongside counterparts from Brazil, South Africa and Ethiopia.
Delhi avoids confirming talks with Washington
India’s government stopped short of confirming whether it formally requested another waiver from Washington. When asked on Wednesday if India would cut Russian imports if the waiver expires, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government’s energy policy was “guided by the interests of 1.4 billion Indians.”
The White House has not publicly responded to Jaishankar’s remarks. Energy analysts warned that tightening sanctions during an already volatile Gulf crisis could push global crude prices even higher.
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