Kyiv: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba criticised India for its continued purchase of Russian crude oil amid Moscow’s ongoing war with Ukraine, which is in its sixth month now.
Ukraine has been a reliable partner of India but by purchasing crude oil from Russia, India is in effect buying “Ukrainian blood”. Kuleba’s response came a day after External Affairs Minister Jaishankar justified India’s decision to buy oil from Russia, saying that every country tries to ensure the best deal possible to cushion high energy prices.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, “When India purchases Russian crude oil [at a discount], they have to understand that the discount has to be paid by Ukrainian blood. Every barrel of Russian crude that India gets, has a good portion of Ukrainian blood in it.” Pointing at the continuing energy sale by Russia to India, he added, “Throughout human history, in every conflict, in every war, there are those who suffer from the war and then there are those who make money.”
It is necessary to mention here that since the Ukraine conflict started, Russia-India relations have seen an increase. India has prioritized its own interests and increased the supply of crude oil from 3 % to 15 %. This is benefiting India a lot. Indian refineries are using Russian crude oil.
This crude oil is being refined and sent around the world. Indian companies have become a hub for the “laundering” of Russian oil. A senior Indian government official said that India’s crude oil imports from Russia had jumped over 50 times since April. In May, Russia overtook Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snapped up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine.
Since the conflict in Ukraine began on 24 February, India has abstained from several resolutions on the matter, including the one in the UNGA that have condemned Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. Kuleba added that the concept of neutrality, which has been followed by many countries like Indonesia and India since February, cannot be justified as the war in Ukraine was costing the lives of women and children. Web Desk
