India, Aug. 21 -- External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday responded to the Trump administration's repeated criticism of India's purchases of Russian crude by dispelling claims by senior American officials and saying the US itself had asked India to help stabilise global energy markets by buying Russian oil.

Jaishankar's remarks, made at a news conference with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, were the first public response by a senior Indian minister to accusations by key figures in the US administration that India was profiteering by buying Russian oil and also helping fund the Russian war in Ukraine.

Jaishankar later called on President Vladimir Putin.

President Donald Trump has railed in recent weeks again...