India’s ‘oil opportunism’ helps Russia get round energy sanctions

As traditional destinations for Russian oil are thrown into doubt because of sanctions, the world’s third-largest buyer has stepped up and may become its new home, energy experts tell Shweta Sharma

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi greets Russian president Vladimir Putin in December 2021 (AFP/Getty)

More than three months into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s war machine is burning at full throttle as gas and oil continue to flow to many countries despite debilitating sanctions elsewhere.

The inflated prices of Russian energy products have provided financial fuel to the Kremlin’s war chest, as nations paying energy bills have inadvertently injected billions of pounds which might have been used to send more weaponry and troops to Ukraine.

As western democracies devise ways to squeeze the Russian economy and deepen Moscow’s European isolation, Vladimir Putin has turned his sight to relatively untapped and more lucrative markets in Asia – China and India.