External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to Moscow next week to hold high-level discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as tensions rise in India–US relations over New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil.
His two-day visit follows National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s recent trip to Russia, where Doval met President Vladimir Putin and senior officials. Both sides aim to finalize preparations for Putin’s visit to India later this year. Russian Foreign Ministry Deputy Spokesperson Aleksey Fadeyev confirmed that the foreign ministers will address major bilateral issues. Jaishankar will also call on Putin and co-chair the 26th session of the India–Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific-Technological, and Cultural Cooperation. First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov will likely lead the Russian delegation.
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Oil Trade, Tariffs, and Push for Russia–Ukraine Peace Talks: S. Jaishankar’s Diplomatic Stance
India is expected to make its oil imports from Russia a key topic during the talks. Last week, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods in response to India’s continued Russian oil purchases, raising the overall tariff to 50%. India defends these imports, saying its energy procurement decisions follow national interest and market conditions. After Western nations sanctioned Moscow in 2022, India began purchasing discounted Russian oil in larger quantities, raising Russia’s share of India’s oil imports from 1.7% in 2019–20 to 35.1% in 2024–25 and making Russia India’s top supplier.
India’s Diplomatic Push for Ending the Russia–Ukraine War
The two sides also plan to discuss the Russia–Ukraine conflict. India consistently calls for resolving the war through dialogue and diplomacy. During his visit to Moscow last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Putin that peace cannot be achieved on the battlefield. He later urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold direct talks with Russia and end the war without delay.
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