New Delhi: India on Friday sharply criticised the European Union’s new sanctions against Russia, which for the first time extend to infrastructure located in India, including an oil refinery in Gujarat. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejected the EU’s move, reiterating that India does not recognise sanctions imposed outside the framework of the United Nations.

The EU’s 14th sanctions package, intended to further squeeze Russia’s revenues amid the Ukraine conflict, features stricter banking restrictions, tighter controls on shadow fleet shipping, a reduced oil price cap, and sanctions affecting the Vadinar refinery in Gujarat. This refinery, owned by Nayara Energy, has a 49.13 per cent stake held by Russian energy giant Rosneft.

“We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures. We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

The new measures could potentially block Nayara Energy from exporting refined products like petrol and diesel to Europe. In response, India underscored its commitment to energy security and its right to make independent energy trade decisions.

“Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade,” Jaiswal added.

Meanwhile, the EU has lowered the price cap on Russian crude oil, which could inadvertently enable India — the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian oil — to purchase it at even cheaper rates. DeshGujarat