OREANDA-NEWS   The United States does not plan to impose sanctions on India for the purchase of Russian oil, said Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Karen Donfried. According to her, the development of US-Indian relations is of great value to Washington.

"By the end of the decade, Russian oil and gas reserves will be reduced by 50%. We do not believe that the policy of sanctions requires special attention. We are satisfied with India's approach. We are already seeing results — the budget deficit reported by Russia," Ms. Donfrid said during the conference (quoted by The Print).

Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Jeffrey Pyatt, quoted by NDTV, said that Washington is "satisfied" with the position of the Indian government when buying oil from Russia. "But we continue to have a dialogue on this issue," he added.

Earlier today, on February 9, Bloomberg wrote that the G7 countries are discussing the expansion of sanctions against companies from China, Iran and the DPRK, which can help Russia circumvent Western restrictions. Restrictions can be imposed, according to the agency, on February 24 — the anniversary of the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine.

On December 5, 2022, the G7 countries' price restrictions on Russian oil ($60 per barrel) came into force. After that, most of the oil covered by the embargo was redirected to China and India, and the volume of cargo with an unknown destination increased, The Economist reported.

According to Bloomberg, India buys oil from Russia at a big discount, and after processing, the fuel will be sent back to Europe. Back in the summer, for fear of violating Western sanctions, world oil traders and banks stopped cooperation with the Indian oil refining company Nayara Energy. According to the International Energy Agency, in December 2022, the export of oil and petroleum products of the Russian Federation to India amounted to 1.6 million barrels per day.