India, Sept. 5 -- New Delhi is buying oil from Russia for its own development and not to help Moscow, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said recently.

While speaking to DD News, Alipov said, "India does not buy Russian oil for the sake of helping Russia. It is buying oil for itself and its own national development."

Alipov had, on Friday, said Moscow remains committed to fulfilling New Delhi's energy demands, while slamming Western secondary sanctions. India's purchase of Russian crude surged after 2022 after G7 and EU price caps on energy from Moscow.

The United States has, in the past, imposed tariffs on Indian goods over Russian energy purchases, including a 25 per cent duty last year. This was withdrawn earlier this year in ...