Exterior Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday (February 14, 2026) denied that India’s strategic autonomy had been impacted due to claims that it was lowering the quantity of Russian oil in its vitality import combine because of the current commerce settlement with the USA.
“We’re very a lot wedded to strategic autonomy,” stated Mr. Jaishankar at an occasion on India and Germany navigating world uncertainty with German Overseas Minister Johann Wadephul on the Munich Safety Convention.
He was responding to a query from the moderator, Monetary Instances Editor Roula Khalaf, on whether or not the not too long ago introduced commerce framework with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had impacted India’s autonomy, forcing it to scale back purchases of Russian oil, which had skyrocketed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Mr Jaishankar insisted that the federal government may proceed to exert strategic autonomy because it wished.
“We do and we’ve at all times performed,” he stated, including that the notion reduce throughout the political spectrum in India.
The Narendra Modi-led authorities has come beneath fireplace, together with from Opposition events, for acquiescing to Mr. Trump’s calls for that New Delhi cease buying Russian oil.
Mr. Trump had insisted earlier in February that India had agreed to cease shopping for oil from Russia as half of a bigger commerce settlement, and this had meant he would reduce tariffs on Indian exports to the U.S. (together with eliminating a 25% ‘penalty’ for buying and selling with Moscow).
Mr. Jaishankar recommended that oil corporations in India, Europe and different locations checked out market components to find out what’s of their finest curiosity.
“So I’d say…, we now have a place on that. I don’t wish to rehash the polemics of that,” he stated, presumably referring to variations between India and the European Union (E.U.) on the India’s relationship with Russia, together with refined petroleum merchandise popping out of India, primarily based on Russian crude.
“I believe that part has handed right this moment when, you understand, coming to Munich, very truthfully, I’m type of coming right here within the afterglow of an India EU FTA and a really profitable go to of [ German ] Chancellor [Friedrich] Merz [ to India],” the minister stated.
India may nonetheless make selections independently they usually may typically be in disagreement with the views of others , he stated.
Remark |India examined, from U.S. sanctions to one-sided commerce deal
Agenda-based groupings not new for India: Jaishankar on Carney speech
On the speech of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Davos in January, the place Mr. Carney known as for like-minded center powers to return collectively to counter Nice Energy, Mr. Jaishankar recommended that was “new floor” for Canada as a result of it’s a treaty ally. India was in any case working in lots of teams with totally different international locations, he stated, citing the Quad and BRICS groupings amongst others, as examples.
An “ agenda-based coming collectively of nations frequently” was “very a lot the hallmark of Indian diplomacy” for about 20 years, Mr. Jaishankar added.
On the India Europe Center East Hall (IMEC) , Mr Jaishankar stated the venture was progressing however not on the tempo that was initially anticipated because of the battle in West Asia.
Responding to a query on how India sees IMEC contributing to Palestinian pursuits and regional stability, Mr Jaishankar stated that the aim of the venture was to handle connectivity and never the problem of Palestine, though India had a “longstanding” place on the latter .
“I do assume every of these points [ i.e., connectivity and Palestine] is necessary, however I’d not take one as the answer for the opposite,” he stated.
‘Keep tuned’ on Quad Summit: Jaishankar
On the Quad, Mr. Jaishankar stated, the summit, which was meant to be held in 2025 in India was not cancelled, as a result of it had not been particularly scheduled.
“The truth that the Quad didn’t happen on the summit stage itself, I wouldn’t over learn it. So do keep tuned,” he stated.
There had been hypothesis {that a} declining stage of curiosity within the Quad from the present Trump administration plus diplomatic difficulties between India and the U.S., centred across the 50% U.S. tariff on India and their incapacity to shut a commerce deal, had resulted within the Quad Summit not going down.
Mr. Jaishankar pointed to the truth that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s first [foreign-level] engagement after being appointed was along with his Quad counterparts and that there was a second assembly in July 2025.
“I wish to guarantee you that the opposite elements of the Quad, numerous mechanisms, all of these are occurring,” he added.
Printed – February 14, 2026 08:35 pm IST
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