New Delhi, June 13: The Finnish government has defended India’s purchase of Russian oil, explaining that New Delhi’s actions align completely with the regulatory boundaries established by Western nations following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at the Kultaranta Talks panel, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen noted that the G7 price cap was never intended to enforce a total embargo on Russian crude. Instead, she explained, the system was designed to stabilize the international energy market while simultaneously curbing the financial returns flowing to Russia.
The panel featured prominent global diplomats, including UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh and Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who utilized the platform to deliver a strong rebuttal against ongoing European criticism. Jaishankar asserted that India’s energy policy is driven purely by economic necessity rather than political favoritism.
According to the Indian diplomat, the sweeping Western sanctions against Russia triggered a massive reallocation of resources. When European buyers pivotally consumed Middle Eastern oil supplies—which India traditionally relied upon—New Delhi was forced to secure alternative, cost-effective options to protect its domestic economy.
Jaishankar further stated that the United States had explicitly encouraged Indian purchases at the time to prevent a global energy crisis, suggesting that critics should stop viewing the trade through a purely moral lens.
“Energy purchases were guided purely by cost and availability rather than political alignments,” Jaishankar asserted during the session.
Addressing broader geopolitical shifts, Jaishankar observed that while the U.S. has overtaken Qatar as India’s leading gas supplier and Russia holds the top spot for oil, New Delhi’s strategic relationship with the Gulf remains deeply rooted beyond energy dependencies.
