Western Hypocrisy Exposed: India's Energy Policies Vindicated Amid Russian Oil Debate

A CREA report highlights Western hypocrisy in the Russian oil trade debate. The EU contributed 23% to Russia’s fossil fuel revenue, compared to India’s 13%, despite criticizing India. G7+ tankers transported over half of Russian oil exports in June, aligning with sanctions but contradicting public stances. India defends its oil imports, stabilizing global markets and preventing price spikes. Meanwhile, Russian fossil fuel revenues fell 18% in Q2 2025. The findings reveal the complexity and inconsistencies in global energy policies.

Since the commencement of the Ukraine crisis, a new analysis from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has thrown light on how Russian fossil fuel exports have changed around the world. India has been criticised for trading energy with Russia, but the data shows a far more complicated picture, which makes us question the policies and actions of Western countries.

Main Points: How Europe Affects Russia's Energy Income

The CREA analysis says that since the conflict began, European Union (EU) countries have made a big difference in Russia's fossil fuel export income, bringing in 23% of the total. India has only brought in 13%. Even while the EU has publicly criticised Russia, it has bought not just energy supplies but also chemicals, fertilisers, iron, steel, and transportation equipment.

This is very different from what people generally say about India, which has been accused of "fuelling the Russian war machine." Indian government officials say that the data shows how hypocritical the West is, pointing out that Europe's acts are rarely looked at with the same level of scrutiny.

An unnamed official added, "These numbers show that India is serious about making sure its people have cheap and reliable energy."

The West's "Double Standards"

The recent doubling of U.S. taxes on Indian imports to 50%, which is said to be because India buys Russian oil, is what this dispute is about. The European Union also put sanctions on Nayara Energy, an Indian refining business, last month.

India has always stood up for its energy policies, saying that buying Russian oil helps keep oil prices stable around the world. India has played a big part in keeping prices from going up too much by providing about 9% of the world's daily oil supply.

This position is in line with how the West deals with Russian oil. The CREA research shows that G7+ tankers carried more than half of Russia's oil exports by sea in June. This is a big jump from 36% in January to 56% in June. These supplies followed the price cap and sanctions rules, which show how complicated—and some may say inconsistent—Western policy is.

Russia's Falling Income

The paper talks about how Russia is still exporting fossil fuels, but it also says that revenues have dropped a lot. In the second quarter of 2025, Russian fossil fuel earnings fell by 18% compared to the same quarter the year before. This was the lowest quarterly number since the invasion of Ukraine. Even though the amount of exports went up by 8% compared to the first quarter of the same year, this drop nevertheless happened.

China is still Russia's biggest energy customer, with imports worth more than €200 billion. The EU is next with €212 billion, and India is third with €121 billion.

The Big Picture

The analysis backs up India's claim that buying Russian energy has helped stabilise the world's oil markets. The West's choice to put a price restriction in place instead of a full embargo also shows that they know how important it is to keep the market stable. New Delhi has noted this duality: criticising India while using the same tactics.

The CREA report reminds us of how complicated global energy policy are and how important it is to have a more fair and balanced conversation about them. India is still putting its energy requirements first, but it also stresses how important it is to deal with the problems with Western stories about Russian oil.

The report offers a new look at the global energy trade and the geopolitical conflicts that affect it by showing these results. It calls on policymakers to be more fair and open when dealing with these kinds of challenges.