India’s NSA visits Moscow amid rising tensions with the US over Russian oil trade and defence cooperation.
New Delhi, August 6 — National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for high-level talks with Russian officials, as India seeks to reinforce its long-standing strategic and defence partnership with Russia. The visit comes at a time when tensions between India and the United States have sharpened over India’s continued import of Russian oil.
Doval’s trip, while planned in advance, gains added significance in light of recent remarks by former US President Donald Trump, who has threatened trade penalties against countries continuing business with Russia.
In parallel to Doval’s visit, India’s Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, met with Russia’s Deputy Defence Minister Colonel-General Alexander Fomin in Moscow. The meeting, described by Russia’s Ministry of Defence as “warm and friendly,” reaffirmed the two nations’ intention to strengthen military and strategic cooperation.
According to an official statement, the sides discussed key bilateral defence issues and confirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation under the framework of their “particularly privileged strategic partnership.”
The development comes just a day after Trump posted a strong critique on social media, accusing India of profiting from Russian oil trade amid the ongoing Ukraine war. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine,” Trump wrote, claiming that India was reselling Russian oil at a profit on the global market.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected the allegation, saying that the country had acted in line with its economic needs and global market stability. “The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement. He also noted that Washington had initially encouraged such imports to help stabilize energy prices at the start of the Ukraine conflict.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin also responded to Trump’s threats of imposing 100% tariffs on nations trading with Russia. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said such statements amount to “illegitimate threats,” adding that sovereign nations have the right to make independent decisions in their national interest.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also expected to travel to Russia later this month, further underlining India’s commitment to balancing global relationships while safeguarding its own strategic autonomy.
