- Roman Babushkin, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission, welcomed attendees in Hindi at his press conference
- Russia will continue supplying oil to India at current crude oil import levels, Babushkin confirmed
- Russian President Putin is expected to meet Indian Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi by year-end
In what was a pleasant surprise, Roman Babushkin, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Russian Embassy in India, welcomed attendees at his press conference in Hindi. "We would like to welcome everyone, sabka hardik swagat," the Russian diplomat said. ("Hearty welcome to everyone.")
"Shuruat karengey... Shree Ganesh Karengey. Aap sab ka Ganesh Chaturthi hai," Babushkin said as he began the interaction. ("We will begin...with Lord Ganesha. Ganesh Chaturthi is arrivin.")
Babushkin then addressed questions on India-Russia relations, saying Moscow would continue supplying oil to India, Reuters reported.
"Russia has a very, very special mechanism to continue oil supplies to India," Babushkin said. India's crude oil imports from Russia will remain at the same level, he added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi by the end of the year, though no dates have been finalised yet, he confirmed.
The press briefing came amid mounting pressure on India from the United States to slash oil imports from Russia. India now purchases approximately 1.75 million barrels per day from Russia, accounting for about 42% of its total oil imports. Western sanctions on Russia have led to discounted oil prices, which India has leveraged.
In response to India's imports, US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian exports starting August 28, citing continued purchase of Russian oil. This follows earlier US tariffs, bringing the total to 50%.
The US has not applied similar measures to China for its Russian oil purchases.
"The sanctions are a tool of unlawful competition. It's always about double standards. A lack of trust, blackmail and pressure, as well as disrespect of national interests. Friends don't behave like that," Babushkin said during the briefing.
He added that Russia and BRICS countries never imposed sanctions, calling non-UN and secondary sanctions illegal. India responded firmly to US tariffs, calling them "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable," pointing out that developing countries must balance energy needs with costs while Western nations have more flexibility in sourcing energy.
Last month, the European Union sanctioned the Russian-backed Indian refinery Nayara Energy, prompting a reduction in its processing and trade activities. Despite these hurdles, trade between India and Russia is expected to grow 10% annually, according to Evgeniy Griva, Deputy Trade Representative of Russia to India, Reuters reported.
