New Delhi, March 7 -- India has responded to the United States granting a temporary sanctions waiver to the country to purchase oil from Russia. India said it will continue to buy oil from wherever it is available and it does not depend on permission from any country to do so.

"India will buy oil from wherever it is available. Our oil purchases will not be governed by any hollow slogans. India has never depended on permission from any country to buy Russian oil," a senior government official told PTI.

According to the official, India's energy procurement decisions are governed by one principle - national interest.

On Thursday the US temporarily eased economic sanctions against Russia to allow Russian oil stranded at sea to be sold to I...