‘No double requirements’: India fires again after EU targets Russian owned refinery in Gujarat

India on Friday pushed again firmly in opposition to the European Union’s newest sanctions bundle, which for the primary time targets an Indian-based Rosneft-linked refinery. The Ministry of Exterior Affairs issued a press release stressing that India doesn’t acknowledge unilateral sanctions and urged the EU to keep away from “double requirements” — particularly in power commerce.

“We have now famous the newest sanctions introduced by the European Union,” stated MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. “India doesn’t subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We’re a accountable actor and stay absolutely dedicated to our authorized obligations.”

The remarks got here hours after EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas posted on X that the bloc had “designated a flag registry and the most important Rosneft refinery in India” as a part of new sanctions aimed toward tightening strain on Russia over its warfare in Ukraine.

The refinery in query is Nayara Vitality’s 20-million-tonne-per-year facility in Vadinar, Gujarat. Rosneft owns a 49.13% stake in Nayara, alongside a consortium of Russian-linked funding entities. The EU’s transfer successfully blocks Nayara from exporting refined merchandise like petrol and diesel to European international locations.

India emphasised its sovereign proper to power safety, stating it’s “a accountability of paramount significance to fulfill the essential wants of its residents.” The federal government underlined that discriminatory restrictions on power commerce wouldn’t be acceptable.

The EU’s 14th sanctions bundle contains tighter banking curbs, limits on shadow fleet delivery, and a decrease oil value cap — designed to squeeze Russia’s warfare revenues. Mockingly, the decrease cap (at present $60 per barrel) could permit India, the second-largest purchaser of Russian crude, to buy oil at even cheaper charges.