NEW DELHI: With EU saying India’s ties with Russia remain a thorny issue, Indian govt Friday cited US President Donald Trump’s criticism of European countries for their purchase of Russian energy to say there should be no double standards on the issue.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas had earlier stressed that India’s oil procurement from Russia remained an issue and that – as the two sides look to finalise a FTA by end of the year – the India-EU partnership was not only about trade, but also about defending the rules-based international order. EU officials, however, have ruled out tariffs or sanctions against India for its crude purchase from Russia.“On EU’s comments on Russian oil, I’d like to draw attention to some comments made by several leaders, including President Trump, that EU and Nato and G7 countries should look at halting energy imports from Russia. There can’t be any double standards on that matter,” said MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal.Trump and his aides have targeted European countries in the past few days for not cutting off energy ties with Russia. “China and India are the primary funders of the ongoing war by continuing to purchase Russian oil – but inexcusably, even Nato countries have not cut off much Russian energy,” Trump said in his UNGA address this week.US treasury secretary Scott Bessent accused Europeans of financing war against themselves. “The most perverse part is, India is buying discounted Russian oil, guess where refined products are going? They are going back to Europe,” he said this week.
