Subrahmanyam_Jaishankar defends India's Russian oil purchases

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar>>> defended India>>>'s purchase of Russian oil at the Kultaranta Talks in Finland>>>, citing cost and availability as primary factors. He pushed back against Western criticism, particularly from Europe>>>, by highlighting what he described as 'moral inconsistencies'. S. Jaishankar>>> pointed out that Europe>>> has sold weapons that have been used against India>>> for many years, while no Indian weapons have ever been used to attack a European country. He also recalled that the United States>>> had encouraged India>>> to buy Russian oil in 2022 to stabilize global energy markets following sanctions on Russia>>> due to the Ukraine>>> conflict. The minister emphasized that India>>>'s foreign policy and energy decisions are guided by national interests and energy security, not geopolitical preferences.