During his 2023 visit to Cyprus, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called out the European Union's hypocrisy of buying more oil and gas from Russian than India imports. Now US President Donald Trump has slammed EU for spending more on Russian oil than aid to Ukraine.
Trump's comments came amid his administration's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine to mark change in US foreign policy. Around $3.85 billion worth of US stockpiles have been held by the government since Trump's inauguration. The EU has rallied behind Kyiv following the Oval Office showdown between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskky.
“Europe has spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine —BY FAR!" Trump posted on Truth Social.
Jaishankar had back in 2023 pointed outthat "six times more fuel" from Russia than India imports from February 2022 to February 2023. The minister pointed out that "if a $60,000 per capita society feels it needs to look after itself, and I accept that as legitimate, they should not expect a $2,000 per capital society to take a hit."
BREAKING: Donald Trump has paused US military aid to Ukraine just days after his row with President Zelenskyy, according to US media reports.
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A study by the Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) states that EU spent around $23 billion to buy Russian oil and gas in 2024. In the same year, EU sent $19.6 billion aid to Kyiv.
Pointing out this hypocrisy long back, Jaishankar in 2022 dismissed the European claims that India buying Russian oil could isolate it in case of a Chinese aggression. He said, "Europe has to grow out of the mindset that its problems are the world's problems but the world's problems are not Europe's problems. That if it is you, it’s yours, if it is me it is ours. I see reflections of that.
The foreign minister had said that India wants a stop to the conflict in Ukraine, the sentiments which are now echoed by Trump.
The CREA study said India's imports of Russian fuel has increased by 8 per cent in the same period while NATO member Turkey raised its purchased by 6 per cent.
