“India has to make its own choices,” says top White House official John Kirby on Russian oil

INTERNATIONAL DESK: White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby said that it is up to India to make its own choices regarding cutting down Russian oil imports.

“India has to make its own choices about (Russian) oil purchases and we hope that we can continue to see that they purchase Russian oil at or below the price cap, as they have been,” said Kirby.

In December last year, the United States and its allies went after Russia’s all-important oil revenues after a European ban and price cap on Russian oil.

Europe, along with the United States and other major economies, like the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Australia, agreed to a maximum of USD 60 per barrel on Russian seaborne oil, which means anyone who still wants to buy Russian oil has to pay that price or less if it wants to ship cargo through operators or insurers based in the EU or other countries who signed on to this price cap.

Speaking about the strong ties between US and India, Kirby said, “President Biden made it clear during this visit that there is just simply no partner that is going to be more consequential in helping solve problems than India.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a historic State visit to the US. He addressed a joint sitting of the US Congress on June 22. This was his second address to a joint sitting, a first for an Indian prime minister. His first was in June 2016.

This is not the first time that the US reiterated India’s choice regarding the import of Russian oil.

Earlier, Kirby had said that it is up to India to decide to buy Russian oil and hoped that India will continue to buy Russian oil in keeping within the price cap.

Speaking on the price cap on Russian oil, Kirby said, “The price cap is working and proven effective. It’s working and we are gratified to see that. It is up to India to decide and we hope that India will continue to buy oil in keeping within the price cap.” (ET)