Kremlin comments on potential Russian oil purchases by China and India.
Dmitry Peskov made the remarks on Tuesday, November 26, in response to a reporter’s question about whether Moscow had discussed with the leaders of Beijing and New Delhi Washington’s efforts to force these countries to stop buying Russian oil and gas.
The Kremlin spokesman said: “We have trade relations with many countries, including those mentioned in the question.”
He said: “We offer our products at attractive prices and competitive quality, products that are of strategic importance for many countries. Ultimately, it is up to the countries themselves to decide on this matter.” Peskov declined to give further details. At the same time, he said: “In the field of managing projects implemented within the framework of Russia’s trade and economic cooperation with China and India, we are discussing a wide range of issues, but it is difficult to provide any further details.”
According to IRNA, the war in Ukraine was sparked by the West’s disregard for Moscow’s security concerns about the expansion of the NATO military alliance. In response to the West’s disregard for its security concerns, Russia invaded Ukraine on March 22, 2021. During this time, the United States and NATO member states have fueled the war by sending extensive military aid to Kiev and, by equipping Ukraine with heavy weapons, have preferred confrontation over de-escalation. They have also imposed more than 30,000 sanctions on Russia.
In one of the most recent sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department announced what it called the halt to Russia’s war machine in Ukraine and placed Rosneft and Lukoil on its sanctions list.
Rosneft is an integrated energy company that explores, extracts, produces, refines, transports, and sells oil, natural gas, and petroleum products. Lukoil is also active in the exploration, production, refining, marketing, and distribution of oil and gas in Russia and abroad.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in response to these sanctions, stressed that Moscow is not making decisions under pressure, saying: “Politically, this is an unfriendly move towards Russia and will not strengthen relations between Moscow and Washington, which have only recently begun to improve.”
The European Union, by adopting the 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions, also sanctioned certain companies in the oil production and transportation sector (including Rosneft and Gazprom Neft) and imposed further restrictions on ships classified by Brussels as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova also called the European Union’s 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions illegitimate and said: “The EU’s foreign policy chief, with his statements about preparing the list for the 20th package of sanctions, admitted to the ineffectiveness of these unilateral measures.”