India refused to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the aggressor country of the Russian Federation, which is subject to US sanctions, despite the risks of energy shortages due to the situation in the Middle East. Reuters reported this on May 11, citing sources familiar with the progress of the negotiations.
According to the agency, New Delhi is trying to balance between energy security and sanctions risks. Because of this, the Kunpeng tanker with LNG from the Russian Portovaya plant, which is under US sanctions, was left without unloading.
The ship, which was previously bound for India, is now near Singapore with no destination listed.
India conveyed its position to Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin during his visit to New Delhi at the end of April. At the same time, the country is ready to buy Russian LNG, which is not subject to sanctions, but most of these volumes have already been contracted by Europe.
Reuters notes that LNG shipments are much more difficult to hide than oil shipments due to satellite tracking of ships. At the same time, India continues to actively import Russian oil.
