India on Thursday (October 16, 2025) strongly rejected the new sanctions imposed by Britain on Russia’s oil sector and Indian companies. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated that India does not accept any unilateral sanctions and considers energy security as the responsibility of meeting the basic needs of the country’s citizens.
What did the Foreign Ministry say?
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, ‘We have noted the new sanctions announced by Britain… We do not support any unilateral sanctions. Ensuring energy security is a top priority for the Government of India so that the basic needs of the citizens can be met. He further said, ‘We would like to emphasize that there should not be double standards especially in the matter of energy trade.’
#WATCH Delhi | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the UK… We do not subscribe to any unilateral sanctions. The Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet… pic.twitter.com/Ld5xWTbTEg
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
Naira Energy responded
Responding to Britain’s new restrictions, Naira Energy clearly said that it operates completely under Indian laws and regulations. The company said in the statement, ‘As an Indian company, we are committed to the energy security and economic development of the country.’
‘EU’s decision based on false allegations’
Describing the action of Britain and the European Union as unilateral, the company said, ‘We want to say clearly that this unilateral action of the European Union is based on false allegations. This is a step beyond their jurisdiction, ignoring international law and India’s sovereignty.
Strictness on Russian oil companies also
Britain has also targeted Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil in its new sanctions. These two companies together export about 3.1 million barrels of oil daily. Of these, Rosneft alone handles about half of Russia’s total oil production and about 6% of global supply.
Britain imposed 90 new restrictions
The British government on Wednesday announced 90 new sanctions on Russian oil companies and Indian petroleum company Nayara Energy Limited. The British government said about Naira Energy Limited that it had imported Russian crude oil worth billions of dollars in 2024. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the action, coordinated with Britain’s Treasury Department, would attack sources of funding for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war. Its goal is to stop oil revenues from reaching Russia.