The European Union has made its latest move against Russia, announcing tougher oil sanctions. But according to EU Envoy to India, Herve Delphin, these new rules won’t affect India or disturb global oil supply.
Speaking on X (formerly Twitter), Delphin said the EU’s 18th round of sanctions targets Russia’s oil, banking, and defense sectors. The goal is to weaken what he calls Russia’s “war economy” while keeping the oil market stable.
India quickly responded. It reminded the world that it does not follow unilateral sanctions. India also asked global players to stop using double standards in energy trade.
So what’s new in these EU sanctions? The big change is in the price cap. Earlier, the EU had fixed it at $60 per barrel for Russian oil. Now, it’s cut to $47.6. This is meant to reduce how much money Russia earns from its oil exports.
But here’s the key part: the EU is not banning countries from buying Russian oil. Delphin made it clear that these oil sanctions are designed to keep the market balanced. “We don’t want to disturb the oil supply chain,” he said.
One Indian refinery linked to Russian company Rosneft was affected. But Delphin said the rules don’t block India from buying oil from Russia. The cap only acts like a discount, giving buyers like India more power in deals.
There’s also a new rule stopping companies in third countries from selling to Europe refined oil made from Russian crude. This closes a loophole that could help Russia earn more, Delphin said.
To make these sanctions stronger, the EU has now targeted 450 tankers. These ships are part of what experts call Russia’s “shadow fleet.” They are used to secretly move oil. The EU has banned these ships from entering its ports or receiving services.
Delphin also said oil makes up one-third of Russia’s income. Around 40 percent of Russia’s public money is spent on military efforts. So cutting oil earnings hits hard. According to him, sanctions have already cost Russia about 450 billion euros.
The EU has reduced its Russian oil use by 90 percent. It plans to stop all Russian energy imports by 2026 or 2027.
Lastly, Delphin repeated the EU’s strong message against the war. He called Russia’s attack on Ukraine “illegal” and asked President Putin to stop the war and join peace talks.
So for now, Indian oil imports stay safe. The EU wants to hurt Russia’s war money—not the global energy flow.
