India on Thursday firmly reiterated that energy security remains its highest national priority, responding to claims by Donald Trump that New Delhi may halt purchases of Russian crude oil and shift sourcing to countries such as the United States and Venezuela.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s decisions on oil imports are guided solely by national interest and changing global circumstances.
“The government has stated publicly on several occasions that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of our government,” Jaiswal said. “Diversifying our energy sourcing in line with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is central to this strategy. All of India’s decisions are taken with this in mind.”
Trump had earlier claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a broader trade understanding, while increasing crude imports from the US and potentially Venezuela. India, however, has not confirmed any such commitment.
Addressing queries on Venezuela, Jaiswal described it as a long-standing energy partner for India, while noting that international sanctions have disrupted supplies.
“India was importing crude oil from Venezuela until 2019, after which purchases stopped due to sanctions. Imports briefly resumed between 2023 and 2024, but had to be halted again because of sanctions,” he said.
He added that Indian public sector undertakings have existing partnerships in Venezuela’s energy sector and that India remains open to evaluating future supply options based on commercial viability.
Meanwhile, Russia said India was free to procure crude oil from any supplier and that diversification of energy imports was not a new development.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia had not received any official communication from India regarding a halt in oil imports and that India has always sourced energy from multiple suppliers.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also described India–Russia energy trade as mutually beneficial.
Separately, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal echoed the government’s position, saying India’s energy choices reflect “evolving international dynamics” and market realities, with national interest remaining the guiding principle.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
