[ad_1]
Live news updates: India defended its continued purchases of Russian oil on Wednesday, saying they were part of its long-standing effort to diversify its supplies and arguing a sudden halt to imports would jack up world prices and hurt its consumers. Attracted by discounts, the world’s third-largest crude oil importer has bought more than twice as much oil from Russia since it invaded Ukraine as in the whole of 2021.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and the two leaders discussed at length about bilateral as well as global issues and agreed on an ambitious agenda for the next phase of the India-France Strategic Partnership. Modi, who arrived here from Denmark on the final leg of his three-nation European tour, on Wednesday night held extensive talks with Macron, who was re-elected to the top post over a week back.
The European Union’s top official on Wednesday called on the 27-nation bloc to ban oil imports from Russia and target the country’s biggest bank and major broadcasters in a sixth package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, proposed having EU member nations phase out imports of crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of the year.
[ad_2]
Source link