Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed a series of sanctions against Russia including a ban on crude oil and refined petroleum products imported into the EU. The only exception to these restrictions is the transfer of crude oil by pipeline in EU countries that, due to their geographic location, are heavily dependent on Russia and have no viable alternative options.

Since the outbreak of the war and the EU’s oil ban, India has become the second biggest buyer of Russian crude oil after China importing 33 times more Russian oil in 2023 than the year before. The Indian government is buying large amounts of Russian oil at a heavily discounted rate, refining it, and selling that fuel to the EU and other Western economies at full-price. Since the diesel and kerosene being imported to the EU is now coming from India and not Russia, it has become a lucrative way to circumvent the sanctions and embargoes imposed on Russian oil.

The EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy representative, Josep Borrell, said the EU will take action to address India’s reselling of Russian oil. “If diesel or gasoline is entering Europe . . . coming from India and being produced with Russian oil, that is certainly a circumvention of sanctions and member states have to take measures.”

This question will resolve positively if a major news source, such as AP or Reuters, reports on or before December 31, 2023 that the EU has officially announced sanctions on imports of refined petroleum products from India that were made with Russian crude oil.

EU will go easy on Indian resale of Russian fuel