NSA Ajit Doval Reaches Moscow Amid Rising US-India Tensions Over Russian Oil
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is on a visit to Russia to bolster ties amid tensions with the US regarding India’s Russian oil imports.
India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrived in Russia for a high-level visit aimed at enhancing the strategic relationship between New Delhi and Moscow. His visit comes in the context of increasing diplomatic strain between India and the United States due to India’s ongoing imports of Russian crude oil and defence hardware.
Though the visit was scheduled in advance, US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about India’s dealings with Russia have added new importance and geopolitical relevance to the trip.
Ajit Doval is expected to engage in closed-door discussions with top Russian security and defence officials. The key topics of discussion are likely to include regional security, cooperation in counterterrorism, and energy security.
Donald Trump’s Tariff Threats Against India
Doval’s visit to Moscow comes just days after Donald Trump criticised India for allegedly “benefitting” from buying Russian crude oil. On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused India of purchasing “huge quantities” of Russian oil and reselling it in global markets for a profit. He further threatened to sharply raise tariffs on Indian products within 24 hours. The US President stated, “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are dying because of the Russian War Machine.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected Trump’s comments as “politically driven, baseless and unjustified.” The MEA reaffirmed that India’s energy imports are determined by national interests and the need for market stability—pointing out that many Western countries, including the US, maintain far more extensive trade relations with Russia.
Broader Diplomatic Engagements Planned
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is also likely to visit Russia later in August, indicating the regular and ongoing high-level engagement between the two nations.
