India on Thursday once again defended its decision to buy Russian crude oil and said that it has been a consistent priority of the government to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumers in a "volatile energy scenario". The development comes after US President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him that India would soon stop buying Russian oil.
In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's import policies are guided by the country's objective to safeguard its interests. He, however, noted that India is a significant importer of oil and gas.
"Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy," Jaiswal said. "This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions."
In his statement, Jaiswal said the Trump administration has also shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India, adding that discussions between the two countries over this are underway.
"Where the US is concerned, we have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement. This has steadily progressed in the last decade," he said.
Trump's claim on India's Russian oil imports
Earlier in the day, the 79-year-old Republican president said India would soon halt purchasing Russian oil after he received an assurance from the Indian prime minister about the same. Trump was speaking to reporters at the White House in Washington on Wednesday when he said it would be easier to stop the Ukraine war if India stops buying Russian oil.
He also said that he would also urge China to stop buying Russian oil.
"I was not happy that India was buying oil, and (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia. That's a big step," said the US president.
India and China are the top buyers of Russian oil. The West has criticised India for this, but New Delhi has defended its decision, saying it is important to safeguard its national interests.