NEW DELHI: India on Friday reiterated its position on Russian oil purchases and the possibility of sourcing crude from Venezuela, after remarks by US envoy Sergio Gor. Clarifying New Delhi’s stance, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India would consider Venezuelan crude if it was “commercially viable,” reaffirming the government’s earlier position on the matter.In an official statement, the MEA said, “On Russian oil and on Venezuelan oil, we have issued statements and have made our position very clear. I would once again request you to look at what we have said in the last few weeks on both these subjects. On Venezuela, we had said that if it is commercially viable, then we are exploring buying oil from Venezuela. We clarified our position on Venezuelan oil as also on the other question that you asked. Our position remains the same.”Earlier in the day, the United States reiterated its claim, projecting India’s commitment regarding oil purchases from its long-time trade partner Russia as part of the much-awaited interim trade agreement between New Delhi and Washington. US envoy Sergio Gor expressed confidence, saying the US had “seen India diversify the sourcing of oil.” He also said there were “active negotiations” underway for the potential sale of Venezuelan oil to India, adding that the final trade deal would be signed soon.He also strongly emphasized President Donald Trump’s position, stating that the United States “does not want any country to buy Russian oil.”
Gor made these remarks while addressing a presser on the sidelines of the Global AI Summit taking place in New Delhi.Stressing on India’s oil commitments and the US position, Gor told reporters, “On oil, there’s an agreement. We have seen India diversify their oil. There is a commitment. This is not about India. The United States doesn’t want anyone buying Russian oil. The President has been very clear on this—he wants this war to end. Anyone still involved with that conflict is something the President wants to see come to an end, in hopes that peace will follow.“On the possibility of Venezuelan oil being supplied to India, Gor highlighted the ongoing discussions, saying, “The department of energy is speaking to the ministry of energy here, and we’re hoping to have some news on that very soon.”A final trade deal with India will be signed “sooner rather than later,” as only “a few tweaking points” remain, Gor said, adding that President Trump has been invited to India by Prime Minister Modi.The US had proposed supplying Venezuelan crude to India as an alternative to Russian imports, Reuters reported last month. It also granted licenses to trading firms Vitol and Trafigura to market and sell millions of barrels of Venezuelan crude following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and a supply arrangement with interim President Delcy Rodriguez.State refiners Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum, along with private players Reliance Industries and HPCL-Mittal Energy, have already placed orders for Venezuelan crude, according to the Reuters report.Meanwhile, the US has consistently opposed the purchase of Russian oil by other countries, arguing that such transactions support Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly presented himself as committed to ending the conflict and has pushed for reducing global dependence on Russian energy.In a bid to resolve the Russia–Ukraine crisis, Trump has consistently advocated energy decoupling from Russia, with several officials in his second-term administration repeatedly calling for a halt to Russian oil exports.The US has maintained that India would reduce its dependence on Russian oil following the conclusion of the India–US trade deal earlier this month, which came after nearly a year of negotiations between the two major economies.Under the agreement, the Trump administration reduced tariffs on Indian goods and lifted punitive trade measures linked to India’s oil trade with Russia, lowering tariffs from 50% to 18%.Gor also spoke about the possibility of a meeting between PM Modi and President Trump, saying it would take place “at the right time.”
