Moscow ready to fulfil India's energy needs if West Asia war persists

Amid fears of prolonged disruptions to Middle Eastern oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and liquefied natural gas (LNG), Russia has offered to continue its energy supply to India. Diplomatic sources say, "Russia ready to full fill India's energy demands in case of continued disruption on energy supplies due to the West Asia crisis."

But that comes with Trump's threats. Tariffs were imposed on India last year for importing Russian energy. In early 2026, Trump announced a trade deal framework slashing tariffs on Indian imports from 50% to 18%, contingent on India halting or significantly reducing Russian oil purchases and shifting toward US energy sources. A US Supreme Court ruling striking down elements of Trump's tariff authority has left the deal in limbo, easing constraints on resuming Russian supplies.

Meanwhile, India is undertaking up contingency measures to safeguard its economic security as escalating conflict in West Asia disrupts vital supply routes. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed deep concern over the intensification of the crisis, which has seen attacks on merchant shipping in the region. "Our trade and energy supply chains also traverse this geography. Any major disruption has serious consequences for the Indian economy," the MEA said. "As a country whose nationals are prominent in the global workforce, India is also firmly opposed to attacks on merchant shipping. Already, some Indian nationals have lost their lives or are missing as a result of such attacks in the last few days."

The conflict, involving strikes in the Gulf region and threats to the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly half of India's crude imports, has prompted swift domestic action. Trade Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a key meeting in Delhi, leading to emergency trade support measures. These include export flexibilities and the formation of an inter-ministerial group to monitor supply chains, aimed at mitigating the economic fallout from the West Asia war.