EU official seeks crackdown on Indian fuel imports using Russian oil

As the Ukraine war continues, EU officials have called for a crackdown on India reselling Russian oil as refined fuels including diesel into Europe. New Delhi and neighbouring China have ramped up their export of Russian oil in recent months even as Ukraine’s Western allies imposed a slew of sanctions.

“If diesel or gasoline is entering Europe . . . coming from India and being produced with Russian oil, that is certainly a circumvention of sanctions and member states have to take measures,” Josep Borrell – the EU’s high representative for foreign policy – told Financial Times.

His comments had come ahead of a meeting with Jaishankar in Brussels. Responding to questions Jaishankar also suggested that the exports don’t violate any regulations of the European Union.

Borrell and Jaishankar held talks in the margins of the first EU-India Trade and Technology Council on Tuesday.

In the last few months, India has become a leading importer of discounted crude oil from Russia notwithstanding increasing disquiet in the West over the procurement in view of Russian invasion of Ukraine. India’s economic engagement with Russia has been on a major upswing in the last one year, largely due to its procurement of discounted Russian oil.
Source: Livemint