Union Petroleum minister snubs CNN journalist over Russian oil purchase: “There is no moral conflict”

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, snubbed a CNN journalist in an interview when he was asked about India’s purchase of Russian oil at a discounted price.

Defending India’s purchase of Russian oil at a time when countries have pressed sanctions on the country in response to Moscow’s war on Kyiv, Puri stated that India only bought 0.2 per cent and not 2 per cent of Russian oil. He further added that India still buys only a quarter of what Europe buys in one afternoon.

CNN journalist Becky Anderson, in the interview, claimed that “India is benefitting from the purchase of discounted Russian oil and its qualms about continuing to buy oil”. To this Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri replied, “Let me first try and correct your perspective. We ended the financial year March 31, 2022 and the purchases of Russian oil was 0.2 per cent and not 2 per cent. We only brought a quarter of oil of what Europe buys in one afternoon.”

On being asked if India had any moral qualms over purchasing Russian oil, Puri said, “We have a moral duty towards our consumers and we to ensure that they are supplied with petrol, diesel. There is no moral conflict in buying Russian oil. We don’t buy from X or Y, we buy whatever is available. I don’t do the buying, it’s the oil companies who do the buying.”

Hardeep Singh Puri further said, “We have many backup plans. We have healthy discussions going on with the US and Europe. Modi government doesn’t feel the pressure. When you have an increase in oil prices, they have consequences – one of it is – there will be inflation and recession, another is we will make the transition in green energy.”

At present, India and China make up for more than half of Russia’s pol exports. Both the nations are cashing in discounts while other Western nations have imposed some stern sanctions on Russia over Ukraine war.