US Hypocrisy on Russian Oil: Why Bharat Is the Easy Scapegoat
“Washington’s selective outrage on Russian oil exposes a dangerous double standard: China doubles its purchases, Europe thrives on indirect imports, and the US maintains its own trade ties—yet Bharat alone is painted as Putin’s enabler.”
Paromita Das
New Delhi, 21st August: When it comes to geopolitics, the United States has perfected the art of selective outrage. In recent weeks, Washington has unleashed a volley of accusations against Bharat, portraying New Delhi as the key financier of Russia’s “war machine” in Ukraine. Former President Donald Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs, citing Bharat’s oil and defence trade with Moscow. Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted America’s double standards, openly justifying why China and Europe remain exempt from such penalties. Adding to the chorus, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro wrote an opinion piece in the Financial Times squarely blaming Bharat for sustaining Russia’s war.
Yet the hypocrisy is staggering. China buys twice as much Russian oil as Bharat, Europe continues to import Russian energy through indirect routes, and the US itself maintains significant trade with Moscow. And still, Washington singles out Bharat as the villain of the Ukraine war.
Bharat in the Crosshairs
Trump’s rhetoric has been particularly sharp, accusing Bharat of being the “second-largest buyer of Russian oil” and thus bankrolling Putin’s invasion. Navarro echoed these claims, insisting that Bharat must stop “cozying up” to Moscow if it wishes to be treated as a serious US partner. According to him, New Delhi’s oil purchases force American and European taxpayers to spend billions more to prop up Ukraine’s defense.
But this narrative is deeply flawed. Bharat’s imports are neither destabilizing nor opportunistic. Much like China, Bharat refines imported Russian crude and sells it back into the global marketplace. In fact, Bharatiya petroleum exports to Europe surged to nearly $15 billion since 2022, helping ensure supply stability at a time when Europe scrambled for alternatives to Russian pipelines. If anything, Bharat’s refining capacity has acted as a global stabilizer, not a destabilizer.
China and Europe: The Convenient Exemptions
Marco Rubio, in an interview with Fox Business, openly admitted that sanctions on China would be “too disruptive” because Beijing refines Russian oil and sells it globally, often to Europe itself. European consumers, he argued, would be unwilling to face higher prices. In short: China gets a free pass because penalizing it would hurt European economies.
Breaking: America refuses to sanction China for buying Russian oil despite putting a 25% tariff on India for the same
'If you sanction China for buying Russian oil, global oil prices will rise,' says Marco Rubio
Then why tariff India when that exact logic applies to India too? pic.twitter.com/gdzA7kZ2m2
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) August 17, 2025
Meanwhile, Europe’s own hypocrisy is staggering. EU-Russia trade in goods hit €67.5 billion in 2024, while services trade stood at €17.2 billion in 2023. European LNG imports from Russia hit a record 16.5 million tones in 2024. And yet, when Bharat buys discounted crude for its own needs and exports refined products, Washington cries foul.
The US Still Trades with Moscow
The irony doesn’t end there. Despite imposing sanctions, the United States itself continues trading with Russia. Since January 2022, US imports of Russian goods have exceeded $24.5 billion. Fertilizers worth $1.27 billion, uranium and plutonium worth $624 million, and palladium worth nearly $878 million have all made their way into American markets. Imports of aluminum, chemicals, power machinery, and even nuclear equipment further underline that US-Russia trade never really stopped.
If trade with Moscow equates to “funding Putin’s war machine,” then Washington must first look in the mirror.
Selective Outrage: Bharat as the Easy Target
Why then is Bharat singled out? The answer lies in political convenience. China is too big to confront directly, Europe is too close an ally to antagonize, and the US itself cannot wean off essential Russian commodities. Bharat, on the other hand, is a rising power that refuses to bend to Western diktats. New Delhi did not flatter Trump’s ego with Nobel Prize nominations, nor did it compromise its dairy and agricultural markets for a hasty trade deal. Now, scapegoating Bharat serves both as a distraction from US inconsistencies and as pressure to bring Bharat under Washington’s strategic fold.
The Legal and Logical Fallacy
Adding to the absurdity, EU regulations themselves state that once crude oil is refined, it ceases to be classified as “Russian.” As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar pointed out in 2023, Bharatiya refined exports fully comply with international rules. Bharat began importing Russian oil only after traditional suppliers diverted shipments to Europe. At the time, Washington itself encouraged Bharat to buy Russian crude to stabilize markets. For the US to now accuse Bharat of betrayal reeks not of principle but of opportunism.
#WATCH | My understanding of council regulations is that Russian crude is substantially transformed in a third country & not treated as Russian anymore. I would urge you to look at Council's Regulation 833/2014: EAM Dr Jaishankar when asked about EU Foreign Policy chief Josep… pic.twitter.com/5Dh5PH9yfX
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2023
Bharat Must Not Succumb to Bullying
Bharat’s oil strategy is pragmatic, not political. As the world’s third-largest energy consumer, New Delhi must priorities affordable and secure supplies to fuel its development. By refining Russian crude and exporting to Europe, Bharat plays a stabilizing role in global energy markets. The real hypocrisy lies in Washington’s willingness to overlook its own and Europe’s Russian dependencies while painting Bharat as the lone culprit.
The selective outrage also undermines America’s credibility. If buying Russian oil funds Moscow’s war, then China, Europe, and the US itself are equally complicit. To vilify only Bharat exposes Washington’s double standards.
The Burden of Hypocrisy
The United States cannot claim moral high ground while continuing trade with Russia and turning a blind eye to Europe’s and China’s far deeper dependence on Russian oil. By scapegoating Bharat, Washington only alienates a strategic partner that has otherwise played a stabilizing role during a global energy crisis.
If America truly wants to isolate Moscow, it must hold all nations—including itself and its European allies—to the same standard. Until then, its rhetoric will remain hollow, its policies hypocritical, and its credibility fractured. Bharat, for its part, must continue pursuing an energy strategy that secures its national interest rather than succumbing to America’s inconsistent lectures.
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