Putin Defends India’s Russian Oil Purchases, Calls Out US Hypocrisy During New Delhi State Visit

Putin Questions US Pressure On India Over Russian Oil During State Visit

Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed back against US criticism of India’s purchases of discounted Russian crude as he began a state visit to New Delhi aimed at deepening ties between Moscow and New Delhi.

Putin arrived Thursday evening and received a warm, public welcome from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who greeted the Russian leader with a close embrace on the tarmac — a rare display that underscored the personal rapport between the two leaders. Modi posted on social media that he was "delighted to welcome my friend, President Putin to India," calling their relationship "a time-tested one that has greatly benefitted our people." After the embrace, the pair drove together to a private dinner at Modi’s residence.

In an interview with Indian broadcasters before the visit, Putin challenged the logic of Washington’s criticism, pointing out that the United States continues to buy Russian nuclear fuel for its own power plants. "The United States itself still buys nuclear fuel from us for its own nuclear power plants," he said, adding that if the US has the right to purchase Russian fuel, India should enjoy "the same privilege."

"Cooperation remains unaffected by political swings or the tragic events in Ukraine," Putin told Indian media, while accusing unnamed actors of trying to "constrain India for political reasons."

Al Jazeera’s Neha Poonia, reporting from New Delhi, said the warm reception signalled that Putin is not being universally treated as a pariah despite Western pressure over Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Poonia added that Modi appeared intent on showing he would not yield to western pressure.

The visit highlights India’s delicate balancing act between Moscow and Washington. India’s oil imports from Russia rose from roughly 2.5% of total crude purchases before 2022 to nearly 36% currently, making India the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian crude. Indian refiners have reportedly saved approximately $12.20 per barrel by purchasing discounted Russian crude.

However, US measures are affecting trade dynamics. The report states that Washington imposed punitive measures, including a 50% tariff on Indian goods, in response to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian crude, and recent US sanctions on major Russian oil producers have begun to force Indian refiners to reduce imports. Reliance Industries, India’s largest private refiner, has said it will stop exporting petroleum products derived from Russian crude.

On Friday, Putin and Modi were scheduled to hold formal summit talks and to announce agreements covering defence cooperation, shipping, healthcare and labour mobility. Moscow is pressing to sell India additional S-400 missile-defence systems and Su-57 stealth fighters, and both countries previously set an ambitious target of $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030 — a goal that now appears harder to reach if oil imports continue to decline.

What This Means

The visit sends multiple signals: a strengthening of personal ties between Modi and Putin, ongoing energy and defence cooperation between India and Russia, and India’s effort to navigate competing pressures from Moscow and Washington as it pursues national economic and strategic interests.