'Energy security supreme priority': MEA replies to Trump's claim on Russian, Venezuelan oil; says decisions guided by national interest

NEW DELHI: Ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday said India’s energy security remained the government’s top priority, responding to claims by US President Donald Trump that India may stop buying Russian oil and instead source crude from countries such as the United States and Venezuela.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s decisions on oil imports are guided by national interest and evolving global conditions. “The government has stated publicly on several occasions that ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indians is the supreme priority of our government. Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India’s decisions were taken and will be taken with this in mind,” he said.His remarks came after Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to halt Russian oil purchases as part of a broader trade understanding, and that India could increase imports from the US and possibly Venezuela. However, India has not publicly confirmed any such commitment. Jaiswal also addressed questions about Venezuela, describing it as a long-standing energy partner for India, while noting that sanctions have affected imports.“As far as Venezuela is concerned, it has been a long-standing partner for India. We were importing crude oil until 2019, after which purchases stopped due to sanctions. Imports resumed briefly between 2023 and 2024, but had to be halted again because of sanctions,” he said.He added that Indian public sector companies have existing ties in Venezuela’s energy sector and that India remains open to future options.“Indian PSUs have established partnerships with international oil companies operating in Venezuela. Consistent with our approach to energy security, India remains open to exploring the commercial merits of any crude supply options, including those from Venezuela.”'Nothing unusual in Indian position': RussiaRussia on Wednesday said India was free to buy crude oil from any supplier and that its efforts to diversify energy imports were not new. "We, along with all other international energy experts, are well aware that Russia is not the only supplier of oil and petroleum products to India. India has always purchased these products from other countries. Therefore, we see nothing new here," Peskov said.Peskov added that Russia had not received any official communication from India on stopping imports of Russian oil.Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also defended the energy trade between the two countries, describing it as mutually beneficial.'Evolving internal dynamics': Piyush GoyalUnion minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India’s energy security remained the government’s top priority, responding to claims by US President Donald Trump.On choice of oil suppliers, the minister said: “Diversifying our energy sourcing in keeping with objective market conditions and evolving international dynamics is at the core of our strategy to ensure this. All of India’s actions are taken with this in mind.”