The Kremlin said on Monday that India would continue buying oil wherever it was profitable to do so in order to ensure its own economic interests.
U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August to punish New Delhi for buying Russian oil, which Washington said was helping to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
On a visit to New Delhi last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered India uninterrupted fuel supplies.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “India, as a sovereign state, conducts foreign trade operations and purchases energy resources where it is beneficial for India, and as far as we understand, our Indian partners will continue this policy to ensure their economic interests.”
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov, Writing by Felix Light; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)