NEW DELHI, August 4. /TASS/. Countries criticizing India for buying energy resources from Russia are trading with Russia themselves, Official Spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal said in his statement.

"India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," Jaiswal stressed.

"The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023. This is significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia that year or subsequently," the Official Spokesperson stressed, adding that the EU imported record high 16.5 mln metric tons of liquefied natural gas from Russia last year.

"Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment, he added.