Over the last decade or so, India has complied with U.S. pressure to reduce oil imports from countries it has sought to isolate, such as Venezuela, Iran, and Russia, even though they were important sources. Once the U.S. pressure eased, official data show that India almost immediately turned back to these sources of oil.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday issued a strong statement asserting India’s strategic independence in sourcing energy against the backdrop of a U.S. Bill that proposes tariffs of up to 100% on India as a penalty for importing Russian oil.