India underscored the depth of long-standing ties with the US while defending its relationship with Russia and energy purchases from that country. US President Donald Trump and secretary of state Marco Rubio have been critical of India buying oil from Russia. Trump has also been attacking India’s trade stance ahead of the US imposing a 25% tariff on the country’s goods.
“India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a briefing in the capital on Friday. “This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward.”
He underscored the military ties between the two countries.
“We have a strong defence partnership with the US which has been strengthening over the last several years,” Jaiswal said. “There is potential for this partnership to grow further under the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century.”
This was a reference to the initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump during their February summit in Washington DC–Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology for the 21st Century or COMPACT. This will “drive transformative change across key pillars of cooperation,” including defence industry cooperation.
However, Jaiswal said that the “sourcing of our defence requirements is determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments.” He didn’t mention F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin that the US wants India to buy.
Jaiswal said the relationship with Russia was a longstanding one. “India and Russia have a steady and time-tested partnership,” he said. “Our bilateral relationships with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country.”
When asked about a report on Indian state-run oil refiners pausing purchases of Russian oil, Jaiswal said, “In securing our energy needs, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets, and by the prevailing global circumstances.”
Rubio had on Thursday said that India’s purchase of oil from Russia is “most certainly a point of irritation” in ties between the two countries. He told Fox Radio that this was helping to sustain Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
“Look, global trade… India is an ally. It’s a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align 100% of the time on everything,” Rubio said when asked if President Trump was “upset” with India getting a “great portion” of the discounted oil from Russia. “India has huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap and… they’re selling it under the global price because of the sanctions. And that, unfortunately, is helping to sustain the Russian war effort,” Rubio said.
