India faces criticism in Britain for stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine

LONDON: India is coming under increasing criticism in Britain for its failure to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its plans to buy heavily discounted Russian oil.

Britain is “very disappointed” with India's stance, UK trade minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said on Thursday ahead of the conclusion of the second round of trade talks. “…but we continue to work with Indian partners and hope that their views will change,” she said.

India currently imports 80% of its oil, of which 2 to 3% comes from Russia, and is considering purchasing discounted oil from Russia, bypassing sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West and the Swift payment system.

The UK PM’s official spokesperson said Boris Johnson wants India and every country to move away from using Russian oil and gas. “It is the funding Putin’s regime receives largely through oil, gas and coal, that goes directly towards funding the Russian war machine. Everyone needs to be conscious of that,” he said. “We understand each country is in a different position and we fully respect that but certainly the PM wants to broaden the coalition of countries further so that everyone is united in not just condemnation but action to thwart Putin's actions in Ukraine,” he said.

In the House of Lords, Labour peer Lord Campbell-Savours called on vaccines to be researched, developed, manufactured, licensed and supplied in Britain henceforth, saying:" I would have thought that there are lessons to be learned about supply volatility from the case of oil from Russia. Equally, with both China and India leading the world in vaccine supply — at the same time as both countries remain reluctant to support us over certain areas of dispute and crisis in foreign policy — alarm bells should be ringing.”

In the House of Commons Labour MP Khalid Mahmood asked: “What action will we take when people break those sanctions on Russia and take supplies? I am thinking particularly of the crude oil being taken by India. What action should we take in those circumstances against people who are still supporting Putin?”