The oil deal between the US and Russia that has dismayed its allies, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said today that the US was protecting its interests and a world of sanctions cannot last in the long term. “The US does not want its citizens to be harassed. This also demonstrates the importance of protecting one’s interests.
This is a testament to our position,” he said at the NDTV World Summit.
A world of sanctions like this is not effective, Jaishankar said today. “You can’t compare it to the old days. That’s why everyone is cautious. Everyone is now working on multiple options. No one wants to rely on just one. Five years ago, we couldn’t have imagined a war could last so long. There’s uncertainty in everything from energy to finance. In short, it’s a hostage situation. So, in times like these, we need good judgment,” he added. I think our teams are working on resolving these challenges. If you ask me what those challenges actually are, I am sorry, I cannot tell you about them. It is the job of the negotiators to resolve them,” he added.
On October 9, US President Donald Trump announced a new diesel deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. In a social media post, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to immediately supply more than three hundred thousand tons (2.25 million barrels) of diesel to U.S. and global markets, followed by an additional five hundred thousand tons in November and a million tons “immediately thereafter.
Amid criticism, Trump had said his administration had acted in the interests of the American people. “I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!” read his post on social media. The reality of the world is that it is shifting and changing, Jaishankar said. Asked about the deal by NDTV, Jaishankar said, “What you have heard from Secretary Rubio, Secretary Piyush Goyal and others, I am also saying the same thing that we are moving towards this agreement… (but) it’s never done till it’s done.”. “But as I said, often the last few stages have their own challenges.
