India will continue to buy oil from wherever it "gets the best deal" in order to protect the interests of its 1.4 billion people, the country's ambassador to Russia has said.
Vinay Kumar's statement comes days before US President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on India, including a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil and weapons, are set to kick in.
On Sunday, US Vice-President JD Vance said that Trump had announced secondary tariffs on India to apply "aggressive economic leverage" on Russia and force it to stop the war in Ukraine.
Delhi's increased imports of cheap Russian crude since the war began has strained its ties with the US and impacted negotiations on a trade deal.
Russian crude made up 35-40% of India's oil imports in 2024, up from 3% in 2021.
