European Union warns of action against India for buying oil from Russia, S Jaishankar reacts strongly

Brussels: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reacted strongly after EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for action against India for buying refined oil products from Russia. EAM advised him to look into the EU Council rules. Jaishankar said, “Look at the EU Council regulations, Russian crude oil has been substantially diverted to third countries and is no longer treated as Russian. I would ask you to look at Council Regulation 833/2014. I will request.” The bloc’s chief diplomat earlier said the EU should block Russian oil from being re-sold in Europe as refined fuel, including diesel, as Western countries move to tighten sanctions on Moscow’s energy sector.

“India buys Russian oil, that’s normal…” EU foreign policy chief Borrell said in an interview but India wants to crack down on refined products made from Russian crude. While Borrell met Jaishankar at the Business Technology Dialogue in Brussels, he was not present at the press conference that followed.

In his place, Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s executive vice-president on competition, said that there was “no doubt about the legal basis of the sanctions” and that the EU and India “as friends … will discuss with an extended hand”. And of course, not a pointed finger.”

Jaishankar was accompanied by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics and Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar in the meeting. Jaishankar arrived in Brussels on Monday on the last leg of his three-nation tour to Bangladesh, Sweden and Belgium.

Earlier too, Jaishankar defended India’s imports from Russia while indirectly criticizing the West for pressuring New Delhi to reduce its trade with Russia in the wake of military action in Ukraine.

He wondered how Europe could choose to prioritize its own energy needs and at the same time ask India to do something else. “Our trade with Russia is on a very small scale as compared to European countries – USD 12-13 billion. We have also given a set of products to the Russians… I don’t think people should read more into this.” than the legitimate expectations of any trading nation to increase its trade,” EAM said earlier in December while addressing a joint press conference with her German counterpart Annalena Bierbock.

“I would urge you to look at these figures. There is a website called ‘Russia Fossil Fuel Tracker’ which will give you country-by-country data on who is actually importing what and I suspect it could be very helpful ,” They said. ,