India sends two negotiators to Moscow amid Trump’s sanctions threat

India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will travel to Moscow in the coming days, according to Indian officials who requested anonymity.

As the Times of India reported, Doval’s visit is scheduled for this week, while Jaishankar is expected to travel to Moscow later in August. India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the details of the visits.

Tensions rise between India and the US

Although the trips were planned in advance and are part of annual consultations, they are happening amid growing tensions between India and the US. Earlier, US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods and threatened to raise it significantly if New Delhi did not stop buying Russian oil.

Washington believes that India and China are helping Vladimir Putin finance the war against Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil. The Indian side rejected the accusations, calling them "unjustified and unreasonable."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains close ties with Putin, having visited Moscow last October. The Russian President is also expected to visit India later this year, which will likely be a topic of discussion for the Indian delegation in Moscow.

Amid US pressure, India once again confirmed its "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia. Meanwhile, the government has not yet instructed Indian refiners to stop purchasing oil from Russia.

Sanctions threat

Donald Trump promised to raise tariffs on India for buying Russian oil. "They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine," the US President said.

The Indian rupee fell to a historic low amid threats of US sanctions.

Before the war against Ukraine, India purchased only 2% of its oil from Moscow. Now, the share of Russian oil in India's imports stands at 35%.