Reportedly in a newly released podcast, External Affairs minister S jaishankar has outlined the country’s ‘clear’ foreign policy choices made by the narendra modi government which have been pivotal in navigating India’s interests amid issues like the ukraine conflict. In an interview released on Thursday, influencer raj Shamani asked jaishankar what has prompted “new India’s" firm stance including the purchase of Russian crude while dealing with world powers on the global stage. “We could have bought the Russian oil clandestinely. We could have said something and could have done something. It would not have been maintainable," the minister said, while interacting with Shamani who has over two million subscribers on YouTube.
Russia has been a longstanding and time-tested partner for india, with defence ties with moscow being a key pillar of New Delhi’s foreign policy. Historically, russia was a minor exporter of fuel to india but delhi began boosting shipments after the start of the ukraine war in february 2022. While expanding trade with moscow, New delhi consistently called for “complete cessation of all hostilities". On the issue of Russian oil imports, india has also maintained that it will continue to take calls based on its national interest.
In the podcast, the external affairs minister said that when he sits with foreign governments, he explains to them, the adverse impact of sanctions on Russian oil exports and highlights India’s role in stabilising the global market. “Let’s say If we would not have bought Russian gas or oil. What would have happened to the global market? We did you guys a favour by buying Russian crude. We have actually stablised the market," he added.
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