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India turns to ‘trusted friend’ Russia for oil, LNG supply as Iran war energises ties
The two sides aim to keep their energy trade flowing despite sanctions while balancing against the US and China, analysts say
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As Russia comes to India’s aid amid the global energy crisis, a familiar mantra has resurfaced among officials and political analysts – that Moscow is New Delhi’s “all weather-friend”.
Such a stance is anchored by deep strategic interests, with both countries viewing each other as vital to their balancing between China and an increasingly erratic United States, according to observers.
On Friday, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Moscow was well-positioned to ramp up oil and LNG supplies to India amid the energy supply chaos triggered by the Iran war.
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Manturov, who was speaking at the end of a two-day visit to India, held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and other Indian ministers in Delhi to discuss trade, energy and industrial cooperation.
Delhi is reportedly in talks with Moscow to restart direct liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from Russia for the first time since the 2022 Ukraine war, while Indian refiners have renewed big purchases of Russian crude, securing 60 million barrels for April.
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Bilateral ties have been under duress since August, when US President Donald Trump imposed a penalty tariff on Delhi for buying crude oil from Moscow, in a move aimed at weaning India away from the Russian energy sector.
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