India has accused the United States and European Union of "unjustified and unreasonable" targeting over its continued imports of Russian oil, rejecting criticism from Western governments and defending its energy trade as essential to national security.
"The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a statement.
"Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security."
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump vowed to increase tariffs on Indian goods over what he described as "massive" purchases of Russian oil that were being resold for profit.
"Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He did not provide specifics, but an existing 10 percent tariff on Indian products is expected to rise to 25 percent later this week.
India defended its energy relationship with Moscow as a consequence of the war in Ukraine.
"India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict," the foreign ministry said.
At the time, Washington had "actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability," it added.
India also pointed to what it described as double standards from its critics, noting that the US and EU continue to trade extensively with Russia across a range of sectors.
"European imports of LNG in 2024 reached a record 16.5 million tonnes," the statement noted.
In 2023, the EU recorded €67.5 billion in bilateral trade in goods with Russia and an additional €17.2 billion in services.
The ministry listed European imports from Russia, including fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, and machinery.
It also said the US continues to purchase uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for electric vehicles, and various chemicals and fertilisers from Russia.
"Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," Jaiswal said.
India, now the world’s most populous country, has emerged as a major buyer of discounted Russian oil since the Ukraine war in 2022, helping stabilise Moscow’s export revenues while saving itself billions of dollars in energy costs.
In 2024, India ran a nearly $46 billion trade surplus with the United States, its largest trading partner, with exports totalling $87.4 billion.
India said it would not disclose what measures it might take in response to any US tariff hikes but made clear it intends to protect its economic interests.
