Russia and India have a long-standing relationship. The two countries stand by each other on every occasion. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised India and criticized the pressure being put on India regarding energy cooperation with Russia. During a press conference on Wednesday, Lavrov condemned Ukraine's comments about the recent meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Lavrov said that I think India is a great power that decides its own national interests, determines its own national interests and chooses its own partners. And we know that there is a lot of pressure on India in the international arena, which is completely unfair. Lavrov was answering a question about Prime Minister Modi's recent visit to Moscow and the opposition India faced over energy cooperation with Russia.

The UN Security Council is being chaired by Russia in July, and Lavrov is in New York to preside over the meetings of the Council under Moscow's presidency. Prime Minister Modi went on an official visit to Russia on 8-9 July at the invitation of President Putin for the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. This was Modi's first visit to Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict.

India has condemned the Ukraine attack several times

India has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has consistently advocated resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, criticising PM Modi's Moscow visit, said in a post on X, “A Russian missile struck Ukraine's largest children's hospital, which housed young cancer patients. Many were buried under the rubble. To see the leader of the world's largest democracy embracing the world's bloodiest criminal on such a day in Moscow is a huge disappointment and a devastating blow to peace efforts.”

India conveyed its displeasure over Zelensky's remarks to the Ukrainian embassy in Delhi. Lavrov said the Ukrainian ambassador was summoned and the Indian Foreign Ministry discussed how he should behave.

Jaishankar reprimanded many countries

Citing data, Jaishankar said that Western countries have also increased their purchase of gas and oil from Russia despite sanctions. Jaishankar said that India will decide for itself how to trade and how to protect its national interests, but the fact that the West is displaying its displeasure towards powers like China and India shows their lack of scholarship, their inability to participate in diplomacy, and also reflects the failure of political analysts.

people's welfare is more important

Defending India's oil purchases from Russia, Jaishankar stressed that it is their duty to prioritise the interests of the Indian people to ensure that they do not have to pay the price for the actions of other countries. He said, it is not that we buy oil from only one country. We buy oil from many sources, but in the interest of the Indian people, it is a sensible policy to go where we get the best deal and that is what we are trying to do.