New Delhi [India], October 14 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday reiterated India’s stance on global market stability amid the US-Russia diesel deal while confirming that New Delhi has already conveyed its concerns to Washington over “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”
Responding to queries on whether Washington’s actions reflect double standards given its ongoing pressure on India over Russian crude imports while itself announcing commercial diesel purchases from Moscow, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal kept the focus on broader market principles and formal diplomatic engagements.
He refrained from commenting on the commercial agreements between the two countries but expressed hopes for stability in the global energy markets.
“As far as the diesel deal is concerned, we do not wish to comment on commercial arrangements that have been made between two countries, except to say that we have always advocated for stability in global energy markets,” Jaiswal stated.
At the same time, Jaiswal noted that India has directly raised its objections regarding American legal measures targeting Russian trade ties, specifically the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA).
“We have already conveyed to the US side our concerns regarding the SRIA legislation,” he said.
The discussion on SRIA comes as India continues to assess the implications of US legislation targeting Russia’s energy trade and countries purchasing Russian oil and gas.
The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, or SRIA, provides a statutory framework for expanded sanctions, import duties and trade restrictions concerning Russia, while also extending economic measures relating to Iran.
The legislation focuses on areas including Russia’s petroleum and military sectors, government officials, financial institutions and vessels associated with efforts to circumvent restrictions on Russian crude exports.
For India, the legislation has particular relevance because it creates a potential mechanism under which Washington could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, subject to the statutory conditions and any subsequent invocation by the US President Donald Trump.
The legislation itself, however, does not automatically impose a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods. Rather, it provides the executive branch with authority to impose such tariffs under specified conditions.
Earlier on Friday, in a post on Truth Social, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel, followed by another 500,000 tonnes during November and 1 million tonnes immediately thereafter. He said a further 3 million tonnes would follow within a short period, depending on the condition of Russia’s diesel refineries.
Trump hailed the diesel deal with Russia as a “big deal”, thanking Putin for agreeing to supply “massive amounts” of diesel to the United States.
“I think you heard about the oil deal with Russia. That is a big deal. That is massive amounts of oil coming into our country. I want to thank President Putin. We have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it is diesel, which is what we want,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before departing for Syracuse, New York, for the midterm election campaign.
On the other hand, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that proposed Russian oil and petroleum product supplies to the United States and global markets would positively impact the global economy, following a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Friday, during which the two leaders also discussed Ukraine and Iran, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. (ANI)
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