RoydadNaft – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that India has assured the White House it will not increase its purchases of Russian oil beyond current levels, following new US sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.

“The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on Russia’s oil sector. In our discussions with India, we’ve secured their commitment to stop buying additional Russian oil,” Rubio told attendees at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

His comments come as Washington ramps up pressure to reduce Moscow’s energy revenues amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

At the same conference, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pushed back by emphasizing the country’s longstanding commitment to strategic autonomy when asked whether closer trade ties with the US might affect New Delhi’s crude oil sourcing choices.

“We remain deeply committed to strategic autonomy—it’s woven into our history, our evolution, and it enjoys broad support across the political spectrum,” Jaishankar said.

Regarding energy decisions, he described the global oil market as highly complex and dynamic, with buyers—including Indian oil companies—guided primarily by commercial considerations.

“In today’s energy landscape, it’s a complicated market. Companies in India, Europe, and elsewhere weigh availability, costs, risks, and make choices they believe serve their best interests,” he explained.

Jaishankar added that nations constantly reevaluate partnerships and strategies as geopolitics shift.

“Many things are changing, and we’re all running our own calculations and recalculations,” he noted, stressing that open dialogue remains important even when views diverge.

“If the core of your question is whether India will stay independent in its decision-making and sometimes choose paths that don’t align with others’ thinking—yes, that’s entirely possible,” he concluded.