External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday reiterated India’s stance on Russian oil purchase and said the Ukraine conflict will not be solved because somebody is buying or not buying oil.
Jaishankar said India stands ready to help in any way to find an end to the longstanding conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
“The challenges for providing energy for 1.4 billion people at a time when world energy situation is very very difficult. Ukraine side has its perspective and we respect it….This conflict, which is today in its fifth year, will not be solved because somebody is buying or not buying oil or alumina or minerals or metals or fertiliser. This conflict will be solved by dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation. That is why, it is something
we would encourage,” said S Jaishankar when asked if India plans to purchase less Russian oil if the US approves the sanctions on Russian-oil buying nations.
India has faced criticism from the US and European countries over its continued purchase of Russian oil since the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022. However, New Delhi has consistently defended the purchases, saying it has the right to secure affordable energy supplies for its people.
Theminister, who met Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, noted that the Russia-Ukraine war is in its fifth year and that India has consistently maintained that this is not an era of war and that solutions will not emerge from the battlefield.
“Only two days ago, an Indian national was also killed in an attack in Kyiv. We join in mourning every life lost and convey our deepest sympathy to every affected family,” he stated.
Jaishankar also raised the issue of attacks on commercial vessels and safety of Indian seafarers with Ukraine.
“There were also some specific aspects of this conflict that came up in our discussion (with Sybiha). Prominent among them were attacks on commercial shipping. Indian seafarers man ships of many flags and have been among the unfortunate casualties. The impact on shipping is also significantly affecting many nations of the Global South in a variety of ways, leading to fuel, fertiliser, and food shortages,” he added.
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