National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Tuesday (local time) arrived in Moscow to discuss strategic partnership and defence ties between India and Russia. Even though this is a scheduled visit, it holds important significance as US President Donald Trump has been critical of India for importing Russian oil amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
"The current escalation of the geopolitical situation will also be discussed. Apart from that, the topics will include such pressing matters as supplies of Russian oil [to India]," Russian news agency TASS quoted a source as saying when asked about Doval's Moscow visit.
Indian envoy calls on Russia's Deputy Defence Minister
Ahead of Doval's Moscow visit, Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar also called on Russian Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin, discussing security cooperation between the two countries. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said that the meeting between Kumar and Fomin was held in a "warm and friendly atmosphere, customary for Russian-Indian ties."
"During the conversation, the two sides discussed in detail the pertinent issues of bilateral interaction in the sphere of defence and confirmed their intent toward the further strengthening of relevant cooperation in the spirit of particularly privileged strategic partnership," the statement read.
Trump imposes 25% tariffs on India
Last week, the US President imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil and weaponry, and fueling the war in Ukraine that broke out in 2022. Trump has also alleged that India is selling Russian oil in open markets, making huge profits.
Recently, Trump also said that he would "substantially raise" tariffs on India. "They're fueling the war machine, and if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy," Trump told CNBC in an interview.
India hits back at Trump
While Trump has threatened India by imposing tariffs, India has strongly hit out at the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) for their attacks on New Delhi for buying Russian oil. In its statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has called the attacks by the US and EU 'unjustified', saying western nations have continued to "purchase goods and services from Russia themselves".
The MEA also said that the western nations had previously "encouraged" other countries to do such trade to "strengthen the stability of global energy markets".
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