THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
The Big Contradiction
A shocking truth has come to light about the Ukraine war. While President Zelensky travels around the world asking for help against Russia, his country is buying fuel made from Russian oil. At the same time, America punishes other countries for buying the same Russian oil that Ukraine uses. This makes no sense.
Here are the facts:
India is now Ukraine’s biggest diesel supplier, providing 15.5% of all diesel Ukraine buys. This jumped from just 1.9% last year. But where does India get the oil to make this diesel? From Russia.
So Ukraine is fighting a war against Russia while buying fuel made from Russian oil. Ukraine tells the world to “stop giving money to Putin’s war machine” while secretly using Russian energy to keep their country running. They use India as a middleman to hide this embarrassing truth.
This is not a small problem. Ukraine imports millions of gallons of fuel that comes from Russian oil, then asks for weapons to fight the same country whose oil powers their economy.
America’s Mixed-Up Policies
America has created an impossible situation. Trump officials now call this war “Modi’s war” and threaten huge taxes on countries that buy Russian oil. But America itself told countries to keep buying Russian oil so prices wouldn’t go too high.
A former US ambassador even said America “wanted somebody to buy Russian oil.” Now America calls the same oil purchases a betrayal. American leaders have created a crazy situation where India is both America’s friend against China and an enemy for doing what America asked.
US said about India: “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.” This is how America talks about a country that is helping Ukraine by selling them fuel.
The Sanctions Charade
Ukraine’s dependence on Indian-refined Russian diesel reveals the fundamental bankruptcy of the entire Western approach. If Ukrainian survival truly depended on cutting off Russian energy revenues, they would find alternative sources regardless of cost. Instead, they’ve chosen the path of maximum hypocrisy, maintaining their energy security while demanding that others sacrifice their economic interests for Ukrainian territorial integrity.
The Moral Bankruptcy
What makes this situation particularly galling is the moral lecturing that accompanies it. Zelensky appears before parliaments worldwide demanding absolute commitment to Ukrainian victory while his own government maintains energy ties to Russia through elaborate “shell games”. American officials condemn India’s “arrogance” for buying Russian oil that gets refined into fuel that powers Ukrainian resistance.
The entire Western moral authority crumbles when confronted with these basic facts. How can Ukraine claim moral high ground while literally fueling their economy with Russian energy? How can the United States demand that allies make economic sacrifices that Ukraine itself refuses to make?
Perhaps most shocking is how this arrangement suits all parties involved. Ukraine gets cheap energy to maintain their economy. India profits from refining margins. Russia maintains oil revenues despite sanctions. The United States gets to maintain the “fiction of effective sanctions while avoiding the economic disruption of actual energy boycotts”.
This is calculated duplicity. Ukraine portrays itself as David fighting Goliath while quietly purchasing Goliath’s energy products.
Conclusion
The Ukraine conflict has exposed the complete moral bankruptcy of contemporary geopolitics. A Ukrainian government that claims to fight for freedom and democracy while depending on Russian energy for survival.
The harsh truth is that Ukraine’s resistance is partially funded by Russian oil revenues.
References
1.https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/us-hits-india-over-russian-oil-but-ukraine-runs-on-indian-diesel-refined-from-it-491759-2025-08-30?utm_source=btweb_story_share
2. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/india-russia-oil-purchase-trump-tariffs.html
3. https://swarajyamag.com/world/india-emerges-as-ukraines-top-diesel-supplier-in-july-claims-oil-analytics-firm India Emerges As Ukraine’s Top Diesel Supplier In July, Claims Oil Analytics Firm
