Jaishankar Reaffirms India's 'Strategic Autonomy' Amid US Pressure on Russian Oil

• EAM S Jaishankar stated India will make independent choices on energy and foreign policy, rejecting US links between a trade deal and Russian oil purchases.
• His remarks at the Munich Security Conference follow US claims that India committed to stopping additional Russian oil imports under a new trade framework.
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump's executive order indicated India's commitment to cease Russian oil imports and expand US energy purchases.
• Jaishankar emphasized India's deep-rooted strategic autonomy and that procurement decisions are commercial, based on availability, costs, and risks.
• India's Russian oil imports have already significantly declined to a three-year low, though the government hasn't formally linked it to the US trade framework.