New Delhi: United States officials on Wednesday (February 8, 2023) said that Washington is not planning to impose sanctions on India for importing energy from Russia.
In a briefing with reporters, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried said, “We are not looking to impose sanctions on India. Our partnership with India is one of the most productive relationships.”
Geoffrey Piatt, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, another US official present at the briefing said, “The implementation of global price caps on energy is an opportunity for countries like India”.
Pyatt said that India has used the “negotiating advantage” derived from the price cap and the fact that a large part of the global market is not accessible to Russia to gain lower prices on crude oil, which is a major threat to the Indian economy. There is a benefit for. ,
Both Donfried and Pyatt emphasized that India and the US are pursuing an energy security agenda, especially in light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy to “weaponize” Russia’s oil and gas resources.
The remarks come in the backdrop of Ukrainian lawmakers demanding sanctions on India for importing energy from Russia.
Since the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, India has significantly increased its imports, especially of Russian oil.
On the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Pyatt said the US and India share a “commitment to uphold the international rules-based order and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty”.
Donfried also welcomed India’s support for the people of Ukraine, including the provision of humanitarian assistance to the country and calls for an immediate end to Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine.
He also praised India’s leadership role at the recent G20 summit, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for dialogue and diplomacy.