New Delhi: In what can be described as the latest American attempt to discourage India from importing cheap Russian crude oil and other goods, Mumbai’s US Consulate General wrote a letter a fortnight ago to the Mumbai Port Authority, asking that it should not allow Russian vessels to call at the port because of US sanctions against Russia, ThePrint has learnt.
In the wake of the Ukraine war, the US and its allies imposed strict economic sanctions against Russia. India, however, has continued its trade with Russia, allowing cargo vessels carrying crude oil and other commodities from the country to enter its ports.
Following the letter from the US Consulate, the Mumbai Port Authority, an autonomous body of the Government of India under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, wrote to the Mumbai-headquartered Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), which deals with implementation of shipping policy and legislation, seeking directions on what to do.
“We can’t deny permission to any ship/cargo vessel unless and until we receive directions from either the Directorate General of Shipping or agencies like the Coast Guard,” an official in the Mumbai Port Authority, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint. “Being the regulatory authority, the DGS has to take a call,” the official said.
The DGS, meanwhile, has lobbed the ball in the court of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
“We have forwarded the US Consulate General’s letter to the Ministry of External Affairs and have sought their direction,” Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping, told ThePrint.
Kumar said so far there has not been any direction to deny permission to ships from any particular country from entering Indian ports. “Vessels are free to trade if they adhere to safety protocols and do not violate international conventions,” he added.
Officials at the DGS and the Mumbai Port Authority said that they haven’t heard anything from the MEA yet.
Big buyer, US not pleased
Since the Russia-Ukraine war, India has reportedly become the second-biggest destination for crude oil shipments from Russia, after China.
This has not gone down well with the Biden administration in the US, which has already flagged it on multiple occasions. On 5 April, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “We don’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy and other commodities.”
Days before that, Daleep Singh, US Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economics, had also sought to warn India against increasing imports from Russia.
So far, despite criticism from the West, India has not showed any signs that it will cease its drive to buy Russian oil to help keep domestic prices under check.
While India has called for an early cessation of violence in Ukraine, it has continued its trade with Russia. India has also abstained from voting at UN forums to condemn Russia’s invasion.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha in March that India’s position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been “steadfast and consistent”, and he has not held back in questioning Western criticism of India’s trade with Russia.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
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