India Defies US Pressure, Vows to Continue Buying Russian Oil

New Delhi: India has once again asserted its strong foreign policy and sovereignty in the global energy market and on the international diplomatic stage. Amid the harsh sanctions and pressure imposed on Russian oil by the US, India has made it clear that it will not compromise on its country's energy security and commercial interests. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum, has officially announced at a high-level media briefing that it does not matter to India whether the US extends or does not extend sanctions relief on Russia. India will continue to buy crude oil from Russia as per its own needs. What is the real reason for India not weakening in the face of US pressure? In fact, this high-profile statement comes in response to a report by global media agency Bloomberg, which claimed that India had requested the US to extend sanctions waivers to continue importing Russian crude oil.