Except US President Donald Trump, nobody else has declared that India will stop buying Russian oil, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told the country’s parliament Wednesday.
Lavrov’s comments came two days after Russia accused the US of attempting to prevent India and other countries from buying Russian oil, saying Washington was using a wide range of “coercive” measures, including tariffs, sanctions and direct prohibitions.
On Wednesday, responding to a lawmaker in the State Duma (Lower House), Lavrov said, “You mentioned that Donald Trump announced India’s agreement to no longer purchase Russian oil. I have not heard such a statement from anyone else, including Prime Minister Modi and other Indian leaders.”
Lavrov noted that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, setting the trend for India’s chairmanship of BRICS, told the first meeting of sherpas in New Delhi that energy security will be one of the top items of the BRICS summit, expected to be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking during the Government Hour of the State Duma, which hears cabinet ministers who report about the performance of their ministries, Lavrov said, President Putin’s state visit to India in December 2025 had further enriched relations between Moscow and New Delhi.
“In particular, a substantial package of joint documents was signed during President Putin’s state visit to India last December. This visit enriched Russian-Indian relations, creating a special, privileged strategic partnership,” Lavrov underscored.
A new meeting between the two countries’ leaders is expected to take place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, which will be held this year under the Indian chairmanship, Lavrov said.
Russia is ready to go as far in relations with India as New Delhi would desire, he said, adding, the sky is the limit.
India formally assumed on January 1, 2026, the chairmanship of BRICS, a 10-member bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, along with five new members.
Earlier, accusing the US of using “unfair methods” to suppress competitors by imposing sanctions on Russian oil companies, Lavrov said in an interview with TV BRICS on Monday, “(The US) is attempting to control our trade, investment cooperation, and military-technical ties with major strategic partners, such as India and other BRICS members.”
While announcing a trade deal with India last week, Trump claimed New Delhi had agreed not to procure crude oil from Russia.
In an executive order, Trump rolled back an additional 25 per cent tariff on India that he imposed in August last for India’s procurement of crude oil from Russia.
On Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said India will maintain multiple sources for crude oil purchases and diversify them to ensure stability in the supply chain, with national interests remaining the “guiding factor” for the procurement.>
