Sustained US pressure on India over the imports of Russian oil is neither acceptable nor practical, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Savio Rodrigues told Sputnik India on Wednesday.
"The remarks by Sergey Lavrov reaffirm a principle India has always stood by strategic autonomy. India’s energy decisions are based solely on national interest and the needs of our people," Rodrigues remarked.
Echoing some of the remarks made by Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri earlier in the week, Rodrigues stated that a large and an expanding economy such as India needed affordable energy for overall stability and development.
"Any pressure from the United States or any other nation to alter our sourcing is neither practical nor acceptable," the Indian politician asserted.
He noted that India maintained close ties with both Russia and the West.
"Our foreign policy is balanced, independent, and guided by what best serves 1.4 billion Indians," Rodrigues said.
In an interview broadcast on BRICS TV this week, Lavrov accused the US of trying to bar India from buying Russian energy and forcing it to buy American LNG (liquefied natural gas) at "exorbitant prices".
Trump unveiled an Executive Order (EO) over the weekend claiming that India has "committed to stop directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil" and would purchase US energy products. While withdrawing the 25% tariff on India over its purchases of Russian oil, the US order warned that it could reimpose the tariff rate if India resumed buying Russian oil.
The presidential order was released the same day when the White House released a Joint Statement announcing a framework for an Interim Agreement following a telephone call between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while reducing the tariff rate on India to 18%.
On Tuesday, US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer also claimed in an interview with Fox News that India was winding up its Russian energy imports.
India hasn't confirmed the US claims till date and has sought to de-link the trade agreement with the question of its oil imports.