MEA asserts it will take “all necessary measures” to protect national interests
In what appears to be a significant shift in diplomatic tone, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday, August 4, 2025, issued its strongest statement yet defending India’s continued purchase of Russian oil — a move that could signal a more assertive response to growing pressure from the West.
The MEA’s unusually direct message comes in the wake of renewed threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to impose steep penalty tariffs on Indian goods, on top of the already-announced 25% reciprocal tariffs set to take effect globally on Thursday, August 7. The U.S. claims India's trade with Russian entities undermines sanctions imposed in response to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Simultaneously, the European Union last month imposed targeted sanctions on several Indian companies, including the Rosneft-partnered Vadinar refinery, citing their involvement in reprocessing Russian crude. These moves have added further strain to India’s balancing act between strategic autonomy and its expanding global trade interests.
In its statement, the MEA made it clear that India reserves the right to pursue its energy and economic needs and would take “all necessary measures” to defend its national interests. The ministry emphasized that India’s energy trade decisions are sovereign and driven by economic pragmatism, not geopolitics.
Observers note that this latest declaration marks the most unambiguous defense of India’s oil diplomacy since the Ukraine conflict began, and could foreshadow countermeasures or recalibrated foreign policy responses in the coming weeks.
As global sanctions ripple through trade and energy corridors, all eyes will now be on New Delhi’s next move — and whether a new phase of strategic confrontation or diplomatic negotiation lies ahead.
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