Sanctions are all about power

The western media likes to sell its sanctions policy on moral or humanitarian grounds, but that's a joke.
For example, back in May the U.S. had Greece seize an Iranian oil tanker that was bound for Syria. In response, Iran seized two Greek oil tankers. Iran was accused of piracy for doing the exact same thing that Greece did.
After six months, Syria is finally getting the oil it purchased. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to steal Syria's oil.

Now compare that to India.

As India’s oil and gas demand continues to grow, the South Asian country is looking to any supplier offering a low-cost product, regardless of how controversial they may be. India’s refiners are diversifying their supply, in response to recent OPEC oil quota cuts, and turning to sanctioned states, such as Russia and Iran, to ensure their crude supply. With little support from the West to support the country’s burgeoning renewable energy industry, India’s partnership with controversial oil suppliers is likely to continue.
...Despite the ongoing sanctions imposed on Iranian crude by the U.S. and United Nations, Iran has been steadily rebuilding its oil supply and establishing export partners for its crude.
...Perhaps more worrying than its partnership with Iran is its ties with Russia, which has become one of India’s top oil suppliers in recent months, offering the Asian state low-price oil after losing many of its Western energy partners after it invaded Ukraine. In October, Russia became India’s main supplier, providing it with 946,000 bpd, according to energy analytics firm Vortexa. Before the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India imported little oil from Russia, however as the U.S. and EU introduced sanctions on Russian oil and gas, it has become an obvious partner for India that is looking to boost its low-cost oil supplies.

Not only has India bought more oil from Russia, but are looking at signing long-term contracts. China also went all in at buying Russia's discount oil.
However, when Pakistan tried to get some of that discounted oil, Russia gave Pakistan a flat-out "no". Pakistan having much smaller economy than India, being the deciding feature.

So how did India manage to avoid being sanctioned by the West for buying Russian oil?

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Washington and its western allies leaned on countries including India to buy either less or no oil from Russia in a bid to punish Moscow for its military operations against Kyiv. But India did the opposite, justifying and defending its stand to continue to buy Russian oil.
When asked about the increase in petroleum purchases by India from Russia in recent months, Elizabeth Jones, the newly-appointed US charge d’affaires in New Delhi, said: “It’s a sovereign decision. It has to be a sovereign decision.”
... Germany, France, UK and some other key western countries have already dropped their opposition to India continuing oil purchases from Moscow. There are only some EU nations which have not changed their mind, but they will fall in line with others soon, diplomatic sources told The Sunday Guardian.
“Britain respects India’s decision to buy discounted oil from Russia.” This remark from the then British Foreign Minister Liz Truss was significant because it came amid Britain’s policy to pursue more sanctions against Russia. “I think it’s very important that we respect other countries’ decisions about the issues that they face; India is a sovereign nation. I’m not going to tell India what to do,” Truss had said at a presser.

Respecting a sovereign decision of another nation is not what the U.S. and UK are known for. But India has long-standing friendly relations with Russia, so playing hard-ball with India will only push them further away from the West.
India will never trust the West ever again.

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something to do with Russia's deciding to refuse Pakistan's request for cheaper oil?

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey

Pakistan's pro-western coup is my thought too.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Cassiodorus's picture

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama