‘India chooses its own partners’: Russia’s Lavrov on Moscow–New Delhi ties; partnership ‘not under threat’

NEW DELHI: Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said the India–Russia relationship remains steady despite Washington’s tariffs and political pressure, adding that New Delhi has made clear it will not be dictated to on foreign partnerships.Lavrov, who was responding to questions on the sidelines of an event, pointed to the resilience of bilateral ties even as the US accused India of buying “massive oil” from Russia. “(The economic partnership between India and Russia) is not under threat… The Indian Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs have made it clear that India chooses its own partners,” Lavrov said.Lavrov’s remarks come as Washington intensifies scrutiny of India’s oil imports from Russia, claiming the revenues aid Moscow’s war in Ukraine, which led to a 50% tariff on Indian goods under the Donald Trump administration. Despite this, the Russian minister emphasized that Moscow and New Delhi are continuing cooperation across sectors, undeterred by external pressure.