India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar firmly rebuffed U.S. ex-official Navarro’s claims that India’s Russian oil purchases serve as a “laundromat” for the Kremlin, framing them instead as essential for energy security amid global price volatility. Jaishankar highlighted the contradiction in U.S. policy, where private encouragement for India to stabilize energy markets contrasts with public criticism. He emphasized India’s independent foreign policy and its role in mitigating global energy shortages through refining Russian crude. This episode reveals persistent Western discomfort with India’s balancing act in geopolitics and underscores the need for India to challenge U.S. inconsistencies in trade and energy policy for a more balanced partnership.