Energy Payments Are Not Sanctioned, Will Be Happy To Reduce India’s Reliance On Russia: US
Washington/New Delhi, April 5: Amid the West’s agitation over India’s purchase of discounted fuel from Russia, the US has said that energy payments are not sanctioned, even as it expressed hope that India would source from America the fuel it is seeking from Russia.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki, asked if the US is going to ramp up pressure on India and China to abide by the sanctions against Russia, said the US’ message is that every country should abide by the sanctions announced. She also said that US Deputy NSA Daleep Singh during his India visit last week made clear that the US “does not believe it’s in India’s interest” to increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities.
She said: “As you noted — so let me start with India, if that’s okay. As you noted, Daleep Singh, our Deputy National Security Advisor, was just there. I would note that, you know, just given some of the reporting, energy payments are not sanctioned; that’s a decision made by each individual country. And we’ve been very clear that each country is going to make their own choices, even as we have made the decision and other countries have made the decision to ban energy imports.
“What — what Daleep did make clear to his counterparts during this visit was that we don’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities.” “Right now, just to give everybody the full scope of it, India’s imports of Russian energy represent only 1 to 2 percent of their total energy imports. “So, while he al- — he explained both the mechanisms of our sanctions and reiterated that any country or entity should be abiding by those, we also made clear that we’d be happy to be a partner in reducing their reliance or even their small percentage of — of reliance on that,” Psaki said. During his visit, the US Deputy NSA had reportedly cautioned India against enhancing ties with Moscow.
During a chat with reporters in India, Singh had said that the US won’t like to see a “rapid acceleration of India’s imports from Russia as it relates to energy or any other exports that are currently being prohibited by the US or by other aspects of the international sanctions regime”. He had warned that there will be “consequences” for countries, including India, “that actively attempt to circumvent or backfill the sanctions”, or promote the ruble. Singh’s comments had come a day ahead of the visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to India for bilateral talks, during which India’s purchase of energy and the rupee-ruble payment system were discussed. UNI
