Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for a complete halt to India’s energy trade with Russia, asserting that Moscow’s economic resilience relies heavily on nations like India, China, and Turkey.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Zelenskyy remarked that Russia anchors its financial stability on trade with these countries. He emphasized that if these key buyers were to cut off energy imports from Moscow, Russia would be forced to halt its military campaign in Ukraine.
These remarks follow US President Donald Trump signing the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act into law. This legislation grants the US administration the authority to impose heavy tariffs—potentially reaching up to 100%—on major purchasers of Russian oil, including India, China, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan. Zelenskyy expressed hope that these new punitive measures will exert maximum pressure on Moscow to negotiate an end to the conflict, ideally before the winter season.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Turkey has already scaled back some of its energy imports following disruptions caused by recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian infrastructure. Conversely, New Delhi has consistently maintained that its petroleum purchases from Russia are driven by national energy security and market options to support its large population, positioning its commercial decisions independently of the geopolitical conflict.
