Russian ambassador to India defends India-Russia relations, says "US shows its arrogance everywhere"

In an exclusive interview, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov discusses American foreign policy, explaining his concerns about how the US approaches partnerships with India and the implications of recent shifts in energy policy.

In an exclusive interview with India Today Global, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov has delivered a candid and unsparing critique of American foreign policy at a time when global tensions are at breaking point. Speaking on the escalating West Asia crisis, India's energy security challenges and the emergence of a multipolar world order, Ambassador Alipov's words carry significant implications for how New Delhi navigates its strategic future.

GEETA MOHANStarting with the biggest announcement that has taken place after all the sanctions because of the war between Russia and Ukraine. We are now looking at a situation where, because of the Iran crisis, Washington has, and I quote, "allowed countries to buy oil from Russia." Earlier it was an exemption for India, and the word "permission" was used. Now it is for the world. Your reaction, sir.

DENIS ALIPOV I won't be overly optimistic about that. There's every chance the US may slap back sanctions on the oil at any point in time in the future. Generally, these restrictions have been very detrimental to any country doing business with Russia. They have been very detrimental to any country that is serious about its energy security, and let me also say that those have been unilateral, illegitimate sanctions. We should not forget about that.

GEETA MOHAN Right. Illegitimate sanctions. You're saying that it is temporary in nature, but how do you read the fact that right now Russian oil has become acceptable, and when India really wanted it, it was not? The convenience of the West to use Russian oil when they want to and as they please.

DENIS ALIPOV This is precisely the behavior of the West. There are one set of rules for the West and another set of rules for the rest of the world. This is not the way to do business. This is not the way to conduct international relations. But as regards the global energy markets, whether it is India or anybody else, you simply cannot exclude the Russian share from the global energy markets unless you are determined to create a crisis and a rise in prices. I don't think this is something in the interests of the world. The prices have risen. Global markets have been disturbed. Russia stands for stabilization of the energy markets and the situation. All of this has been triggered by the aggression of the US and Israel against Iran.