New Delhi: Even as external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that New Delhi valued its relationship with Berlin for its “predictability” in uncertain times, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul on Wednesday (September 3) reiterated that Europe’s sanctions are aimed at blocking Russian oil from re-entering European markets through “detours”, a stance with direct implications for India’s refiners.The German foreign minister’s two-day visit to India comes close after the Indian prime minister was in China, where he had formal talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.This is all against the backdrop of the dizzying US tariffs imposed on India that have upended economic ties, with Washington levying a 50% duty on Indian imports, half of which is punishment for buying Russian oil.Claiming that New Delhi’s oil purchases were funding Russia’s war economy, Washington has accused India of “profiteering” by buying Russian oil and selling it abroad, mostly to Europe.Wadephul, speaking alongside Jaishankar at a joint press conference, drew a distinction between Europe’s approach and Washington’s tariffs. “We have not used tariffs, but it was sanctions that we have imposed on Russia … the so-called oil price cap,” he said.The aim, he explained, was to deprive Moscow of revenue while avoiding disruption to global supplies.He added that it was important to ensure “there are no bottlenecks when it comes to countries supplying themselves with the energy they need and that there are no unreasonable increases in prices”.At the same time, he underlined that Europe’s goal was to stop Russian oil from finding its way back into the EU through indirect routes.“The purpose has not been that Russia uses detours but manages to get its oil to us, and we therefore took appropriate measures to prevent that,” Wadephul said.His remarks are significant for India, which has been the largest buyer of Russian seaborne crude since 2022.External affairs minister S. Jaishankar with his German opposite number Johann Wadephul during a media interaction in Delhi on September 3, 2025. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.Between January and July 2025, India imported about 1.73 million barrels per day of Russian crude, more than a third of its total imports.A large share of that oil is processed in Indian refineries and exported to Europe as diesel and jet fuel. At Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery alone, 17 billion euros worth of refined fuels made from Russian crude were exported to the EU between February 2023 and July 2025.Last week, a major US media outlet had reported that the US government was urging Europe to adopt secondary tariffs on India and China, similar to those imposed by America. Washington has, however, not yet imposed any penal tariffs on Beijing, Russia’s top buyer of crude.India’s refined oil exports to Europe are already under pressure. In July, the EU for the first time sanctioned an India-based entity, Nayara Energy’s refinery in Vadinar, partly owned by Russia’s Rosneft, as part of its 18th package of measures against Moscow.The sanctions included asset freezes and an import ban on refined products made from Russian crude in third countries, with the EU stating the step was intended to prevent Russian oil from entering its market indirectly.India responded that it “does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures” and reiterated that securing its energy needs remained a priority.On August 4, the Ministry of External Affairs had issued a sharper response, calling the targeting of India by both Washington and Brussels as “unjustified and unreasonable”. It argued that India turned to Russian crude only after traditional suppliers were diverted to Europe following the outbreak of the Ukraine war, and recalled that the US had at the time encouraged such imports to stabilise global markets.The ministry pointed out that in 2024, the EU’s trade with Russia still amounted to 67.5 billion euros in goods and 17.2 billion euros in services, while imports of Russian LNG hit a record 16.5 million tonnes. By contrast, it claimed India’s purchases were driven by necessity and aimed at ensuring affordable energy for its consumers.Jaishankar with Wadephul and others during a meeting in Delhi. Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar via PTI.The German foreign minister described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “the biggest challenge” to Germany and Europe’s security policy. He welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent message to Putin on the need for a “speedy peace agreement” and said Europe was doing its best, alongside the US and Ukraine, to end the war.“I know that we don’t always see 100% eye to eye with our Indian friends,” he acknowledged, urging New Delhi to use its relations with Moscow to “point to the need to make peace return to Europe”.Wadephul added that the “open discussions” in Delhi had been important, stressing that “peace is the basis for security, freedom and prosperity”.Asked about India’s recent engagement with China, the foreign minister said Germany did not judge other countries’ relations but welcomed steps to improve mutual understanding.At the same time, he outlined Berlin’s broader position on China, saying Germany and the European Union saw Beijing in three ways: “China is a partner in some areas such as climate protection, a competitor in many economic sectors, and also a systemic rival.”He added that Germany valued “fair competition and equal rules and therefore we are also determined to defend our market against unfair practices but we are open to partnership wherever possible”.Repeatedly emphasising the need to expand trade and business ties, he expressed confidence that the two-way trade volume between India and Germany which stood at 31 billion euros could be doubled.He pointed to the EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) as central to that expansion, saying Germany “strongly supports” the negotiations and hoped the deal could be “concluded before the end of this year, in autumn this year, and hopefully lead to a ratification process”.Taking a swipe at the US’s tariff policy, he said, “if others set up impediments to trade, we should respond by us lowering these impediments and hurdles”.Jaishankar, in turn, underlined that India’s conversations with Germany and the EU on trade predated the latest tariff disputes with the US, but had acquired greater urgency in the current climate.He said both sides had a strong interest in lowering tariffs and finding ways to expand economic cooperation.“This is a relationship where there are considerable possibilities for fairly rapid growth,” he said, adding that Berlin’s backing was vital for the FTA to move to a decisive conclusion.In a broader framing, Jaishankar said India placed particular value on its partnership with Germany and Europe at a time of global volatility. He recalled that India and Germany also cooperate within the G4 on reform of the UN Security Council, and described the relationship as one that was “steady” and “predictable”.“It is a relationship where largely what we promise to each other and policies that we have remain constant and remain predictable,” he said. “So, you know, predictability today has a huge premium in global politics.”