‘We are supposed to keep shifting…’: NITI Aayog member on West’s sanctions on Russian oil
A top aide to Trump has accused India of effectively funding Russia's war efforts in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow.
- Aug 4, 2025,
- Updated Aug 4, 2025 8:50 AM IST
While US Donald Trump had only indicated, his aide has upfront accused India of financing Russia’s war on Ukraine by buying sanctioned oil that New Delhi can obtain for cheaper rates. However, Russia is not the first oil supplier that the US has put sanctions on that it expects the rest of the world to follow. Before Russia was Iraq and even Iran.
NITI Aayog member who specialises in policy and institutional reforms, Dr Arvind Virmani, questioned if every time the West prefers or rejects an oil and gas supplier, the rest must keep changing their source too.
“Iran was a significant supplier till it was sanctioned. Oil imports from Iraq have fluctuated as the West cycled between sanctions and bases. Russia was the preferred source of oil and gas for the EU/West. We are supposed to keep shifting our oil source, every time the West has a new enemy/friend!” he said.
Virmani reposted another post by geopolitical strategist, Velina Tchakarova, said, “India will become world’s economic power number 3 next to America and China. India will need a lot of oil (and gas) for the sake of economic growth in the upcoming years. Look at India's crude oil imports by source: There is NO replacement for Russian oil.” She shared a data set Kpler and EOA that showed that India imported 45 per cent of its oil from Russia, followed by 18 per cent from Iraq, 12 per cent from Saudi Arabia, 9 per cent from UAE and only 6 per cent from the US. There’s also Nigeria (3 per cent), Angola (1 per cent), Kuwait (1 per cent) and other sources (5 per cent) in the mix.
A top aide to Trump has accused India of effectively funding Russia's war efforts in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow. Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff at the White House, made these remarks as the President increased pressure on New Delhi to cease its oil purchases from Russia.
"What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," Miller stated during an appearance on Fox News' ‘Sunday Morning Futures’. This marks one of the strongest criticisms from the Trump administration directed at India, a significant US ally in the Indo-Pacific region.
Miller pointed out the scale of India's oil purchases from Russia, noting, "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact."
Despite these criticisms, the Indian government appears unfazed. According to sources who spoke to Reuters, New Delhi intends to continue purchasing oil from Russia.
Meanwhile, the US implemented a 25 per cent tariff on Indian products last Friday. This tariff is partly due to India's acquisition of military equipment and energy from Russia.
Further escalating the situation, Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on US imports from countries purchasing Russian oil unless a significant peace deal is reached between Moscow and Ukraine.
While US Donald Trump had only indicated, his aide has upfront accused India of financing Russia’s war on Ukraine by buying sanctioned oil that New Delhi can obtain for cheaper rates. However, Russia is not the first oil supplier that the US has put sanctions on that it expects the rest of the world to follow. Before Russia was Iraq and even Iran.
NITI Aayog member who specialises in policy and institutional reforms, Dr Arvind Virmani, questioned if every time the West prefers or rejects an oil and gas supplier, the rest must keep changing their source too.
“Iran was a significant supplier till it was sanctioned. Oil imports from Iraq have fluctuated as the West cycled between sanctions and bases. Russia was the preferred source of oil and gas for the EU/West. We are supposed to keep shifting our oil source, every time the West has a new enemy/friend!” he said.
Virmani reposted another post by geopolitical strategist, Velina Tchakarova, said, “India will become world’s economic power number 3 next to America and China. India will need a lot of oil (and gas) for the sake of economic growth in the upcoming years. Look at India's crude oil imports by source: There is NO replacement for Russian oil.” She shared a data set Kpler and EOA that showed that India imported 45 per cent of its oil from Russia, followed by 18 per cent from Iraq, 12 per cent from Saudi Arabia, 9 per cent from UAE and only 6 per cent from the US. There’s also Nigeria (3 per cent), Angola (1 per cent), Kuwait (1 per cent) and other sources (5 per cent) in the mix.
A top aide to Trump has accused India of effectively funding Russia's war efforts in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Moscow. Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff at the White House, made these remarks as the President increased pressure on New Delhi to cease its oil purchases from Russia.
"What he (Trump) said very clearly is that it is not acceptable for India to continue financing this war by purchasing the oil from Russia," Miller stated during an appearance on Fox News' ‘Sunday Morning Futures’. This marks one of the strongest criticisms from the Trump administration directed at India, a significant US ally in the Indo-Pacific region.
Miller pointed out the scale of India's oil purchases from Russia, noting, "People will be shocked to learn that India is basically tied with China in purchasing Russian oil. That's an astonishing fact."
Despite these criticisms, the Indian government appears unfazed. According to sources who spoke to Reuters, New Delhi intends to continue purchasing oil from Russia.
Meanwhile, the US implemented a 25 per cent tariff on Indian products last Friday. This tariff is partly due to India's acquisition of military equipment and energy from Russia.
Further escalating the situation, Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on US imports from countries purchasing Russian oil unless a significant peace deal is reached between Moscow and Ukraine.