India has sharply criticized the European Union’s latest round of sanctions targeting Russia, denouncing what it calls a blatant double standard that threatens India’s energy security and economic interests. The move highlights India’s delicate balancing act amid escalating geopolitical tensions caused by the Ukraine conflict, as well as its growing energy partnership with Russia.

On July 18, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India released an official statement asserting that New Delhi “does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures” and underscored India’s status as a “responsible actor” in the global energy market. The statement strongly emphasized the country’s commitment to securing energy supplies for its population, while urging the international community to avoid double standards, especially regarding energy trade.

The EU unveiled its 18th package of sanctions on Russia amid the prolonged war in Ukraine, aiming to tighten the economic noose on Moscow by targeting its vital oil sector. These measures notably include a ban on the import of refined petroleum products derived from Russian crude oil. More controversially for India, the sanctions specifically target Nayara Energy’s Vadinar refinery in Gujarat-India’s second-largest private refinery-which processes Russian crude oil into refined fuels.

Nayara Energy, an Indo-Russian joint venture, is partially owned by Russian oil giant Rosneft, which holds a 49% stake. The Vadinar refinery can process up to 20 million tonnes of crude annually, making it a significant player in India’s oil refining industry. The refinery was acquired by a Rosneft-led consortium from India’s Essar Group in 2017 for $12.9 billion, marking the largest foreign investment in the sector at the time.

The EU has also imposed sanctions on India’s flag registry, the official list of ships authorized to fly the Indian flag. This means any India-flagged........

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