India, Sept. 23 -- After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia will be forced to end the war if its energy trade with India and China stops, Moscow has hit back, saying that the trade is helping India weather an energy shock at a time when the Iran war has disrupted global energy supplies.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said Moscow's arrangements with New Delhi have helped "significantly mitigate" the impact of the US war on Iran and disruptions to global energy trade, according to RT India.

He described Russia as a "reliable exporter" capable of meeting its partners' demand "even in the most challenging geopolitical conditions", citing the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.

The Russian deputy fore...