“No European country has been attacked with Indian weapons”: Jaishankar
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly defended the country’s oil import policy, delivering a sharp response to criticism over New Delhi’s continued energy ties with Moscow. He stressed that India’s decisions are guided by national interests and energy security requirements rather than external pressure.
Highlighting India’s responsible approach to defense exports, Jaishankar noted that no European nation has ever been attacked using Indian-made weapons. His remarks appeared to draw a contrast with countries that have supplied arms or military assistance to states perceived as hostile to India’s interests.
India has consistently maintained that securing affordable and reliable energy supplies remains a key priority for its economy and population. Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has faced scrutiny from several Western countries over its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil. Indian officials, however, have repeatedly pointed out that many European nations continued various forms of trade with Russia during the conflict.
Jaishankar’s comments also reflected India’s long-standing policy of strategic autonomy, under which the country seeks to maintain balanced relations with major global powers while pursuing its own national priorities. The government has reiterated that its foreign policy and economic decisions are based on India’s interests rather than external expectations.
The remarks have renewed discussions on global energy security, defense exports, and the standards applied to emerging powers such as India in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.
