India defends Russian energy purchases, says Europe buys far more

India sought to defend its purchases of Russian oil and gas Monday amid a US push for nations around the world to curb acquisitions, saying Europe's consumption far surpasses India's.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, New Delhi's top diplomat, lashed out at criticism over India's purchases of Russian energy, saying they are necessary to secure the nation's energy security.

"If you're looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe," he said during a meeting of the Indian and American top diplomats and defense secretaries in Washington. "Looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon."

The defense comes as the Biden administration pushes countries worldwide to restrict purchases of Russian oil and gas in a bid to tighten the economic screws on Moscow over its war on Ukraine.