External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is very “committed” to its policy of “strategic autonomy” when asked at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday if India was “forced” to “shut down” Russian oil.
Jaishankar’s statement came days after US President Donald Trump announced the “historic” trade deal in a post on social media platform TRUTH, claiming that India had agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of the pact.
However, India has not yet confirmed whether it will actually stop buying Russian oil.
What did Jaishankar say?
In an interactive session alongside German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Jaishankar said the global energy market was “complex”.
He said oil companies in India, Europe and other parts of the world look at availability, costs, risks and take decisions that they believe are in their best interest.
“We’re very committed to strategic autonomy because it’s very much part of our history and our evolution,” he said.
Asked whether India can exercise this “strategic autonomy” today, Jaishankar said: “We do, we always have. I think it’s something that runs very deep and it’s something that cuts across the political spectrum as well.”
Jaishankar added that India retains the ability to make independent decisions without always agreeing with its partners in the West.
“We wouldn’t necessarily agree on everything, but I believe that if we do, and if there is an inclination to find common ground and overlaps, that will happen,” Jaishankar said.
“If the point of your question is — would I remain independent and make my own decisions and make decisions that may not agree with your thinking — yes, that can happen,” he said.
Jaishankar at the 2026 Munich Security Conference
On Saturday, S Jaishankar met the G7 foreign ministers at the 2026 Munich Security Conference, where he reiterated India’s support for UN Agenda 80 and highlighted New Delhi’s role in ensuring global security.
On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts to discuss economic cooperation, defense ties and regional security challenges.
Posting on X, Jaishankar said: “Delighted to join the G7 Foreign Ministers at @MunSecConf today. He reiterated India’s support for the UN@80 agenda, especially meaningful reform of the UN Security Council.”
Jaishankar also strongly called for reforms in the United Nations, especially in view of the profound changes the world was witnessing.
“These developments also underscore the need to reform the UN, especially after the world has experienced a series of upheavals in the past five years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, tensions in the Middle East and the rise of China and its impact on global systems,” he said.