'Don't like it, don't buy it': Indian FM pushes back on US pressure, stands by Russian oil imports
Iran Press TV
Sunday, 24 August 2025 7:05 AM
Indian Foreign Minister has defended New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil despite US tariffs on Indian goods, saying that if others "don't like it, don't buy it."
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum (ET WLF) on Saturday, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said there are some "red lines" in the India-US trade deal negotiations.
He underscored that amid strained relations with the US over several aspects in bilateral trade, India refuses any concession to US President Donald Trump.
"It is funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business," he said.
"If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, do not buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. Europe buys, America buys, so you do not like it, do not buy it," he added.
He asserted that India's purchase of Russian oil serves both its national interest and contributes to global market stability.
He reiterated that New Delhi would continue to make decisions independently.
The US imposed punitive tariffs on India after Trump claimed that the country's purchase of Russian crude indirectly funded the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Tensions in US-India trade relations extend beyond energy, with multiple rounds of negotiations for an interim trade agreement failing to produce a breakthrough.
"Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and, to some extent, of our small producers," Jaishankar said.
The United States has pressed India to open its markets to American dairy, poultry, and agricultural products such as corn, soybeans, wheat, ethanol, fruits, and nuts.
But India, an agrarian economy, has resisted, particularly on genetically modified (GM) crops, which it considers harmful to human health and the environment.
Dairy remains a particularly sensitive issue as well, as millions of small and landless farmers depend on the sector for survival, especially during poor monsoons or agricultural downturns.
In a clear message to Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly declared that India will not compromise on the interests of farmers.
"Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy related to farmers, fishermen, and cattle rearers of India," he said in his Independence Day speech.
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