India will continue to buy oil from wherever it "gets the best deal" in order to protect the interests of its 1.4 billion people, the country's ambassador to Russia has said. Vinay Kumar's statement comes days before US President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs on India, including a 25% penalty for buying Russian oil and weapons, are set to kick in.

India’s envoy to Russia, Vinay Kumar, affirmed that Indian companies will keep purchasing oil from sources offering the “best deal,” stressing that New Delhi’s foremost priority remains securing energy for its 1.4 billion citizens, reported NDTV.

Vinay Kumar's statements came after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Saturday reiterated that the US tariff was “unjustified and unfair”, and said it was being wrongly “presented as an oil issue”.