Indian ambassador slams Western criticism of Russian oil purchases

Indian refineries are buying feedstock in more than thirty countries, including Russia
Vikram Doraiswami, the Indian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, responded sharply to criticism of Russian oil purchases and said that New Delhi cannot “switch off” its economy.

“India is the world’s third-largest energy consumer. We import 80% of our energy. What do you want us to do — switch off our economy?” he said in an interview with UK-based Times Radio.

Long-standing relations between India and Russia go back “to the era in which some of our Western partners wouldn’t sell us weapons but would sell it to countries in our neighborhood that use them only to attack us,” the Indian Ambassador said, answering the question about close ties between the two countries.

Indian refineries are buying feedstock in more than 40 countries, including Russia. Also no country has the powers to dictate to India on any thing including from where it is purchasing its oil.