India Deepens Russian Energy Ties as Trade Talks With Washington Reach a Critical Stage

India increased its imports of Russian oil and coal to compensate for supply disruptions and higher prices linked to the Middle East conflict, Kommersant reported, citing the analytics firm Kpler. The purchases underline how the world's most populous country continues to buy discounted Russian energy despite Western pressure.

At the same time, the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, visited India this week for talks that analysts told the South China Morning Post could bring the two sides close to a broad trade agreement after months of tariff disputes. India's protected farm sector remains the principal obstacle.

A further opening may come from the temporary lifting of United States sanctions on Iran. The Hindi service of the BBC noted that India had halted Iranian oil imports under the previous sanctions and that Iran had once sold crude to India in rupees rather than dollars, raising the question of whether that trade could resume on terms outside the dollar system.

India's position illustrates the emergence of a more multipolar trade order. New Delhi maintains relations with Washington, Moscow and Tehran at the same time, buying where the price is lowest and resisting pressure to choose a single bloc.