New Delhi, Aug. 24 -- The current US administration did not ask India to cease purchasing Russian oil in private discussions until President Donald Trump began making public statements criticising New Delhi's energy trade, external affairs minister S Jaishankar revealed on Saturday. The disclosure exposes a significant inconsistency in Washington's approach, with Jaishankar emphasising that "after January [when Trump was sworn in], there were no conversations with the current administration saying: Don't do that [buy Russian oil]". Speaking at a media conclave, the minister provided crucial context for this policy contradiction, revealing that in 2022, American officials had actively encouraged India's Russian oil purchases to stabilise global energy prices. "In 2022, there was deep nervousness because oil prices went up. And there were a set of conversations with different people in the American administration at that time that if India wanted to buy Russian oil, that's fine by us, because it will stabilise the price of oil," Jaishankar said, speaking at the ET World Leaders Forum. Jaishankar identified three core issues straining India-US relations: trade negotiations, Russian energy purchases, and American mediation assertions over India-Pakistan tensions. "Right now, I think there are issues. It's pretty open," Jaishankar said, noting that President Donald Trump's publicly conducted foreign policy marked a significant departure from traditional diplomacy. On trade, the minister emphasised India's unwillingness to bend on core principles. "Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and of our small producers," he stated. Trump's administration is set to impose a 25% punitive tariff on Indian exports from August 28 over Russian oil purchases, adding to an existing 25% reciprocal tariff. Despite reports of a pause in trade discussions, Jaishankar insisted negotiations continue. "Nobody said the negotiations are off, and people do talk to each other," he said, whilst setting firm boundaries on India's priorities. "Our trade conversation pertained to our bilateral trade. Our trade conversations did not go into [Russian oil issue]," he said, adding that there were "no discussions on this issue before their position was made public. Jaishankar highlighted American inconsistency in targeting India whilst sparing China-the largest Russian oil importer-and the European Union, which leads in Russian LNG imports. "When people say we are funding the war or putting money in the coffers of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, Russia-EU trade is bigger than India-Russia trade," he said. "So is Europe not putting money into Putin's coffers?" While acknowledging that India's exports to Russia have grown, Jaishankar said they haven't increased "that much" compared to other countries whose exports "grew dramatically after 2022". He emphasised that strategic autonomy means making decisions based on national interests. Responding to profiteering accusations from White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and others, Jaishankar said: "It's funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don't buy it. Nobody forced you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys." Pakistan mediation rejected The third friction point stems from Trump's claims of mediating between India and Pakistan during May hostilities. Jaishankar emphasised India's long-standing position: "For more than 50 years now, there is a national consensus in this country that we do not accept mediation in our relations with Pakistan." While acknowledging that US leaders contacted India after it launched Operation Sindoor to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack, Jaishankar distinguished this from mediation claims. Trump, who first announced the cessation of hostilities on social media, has claimed on nearly three dozen occasions to have brokered a ceasefire. However, Jaishankar said Pakistan sought an end to hostilities after India's military inflicted severe damage on Pakistani airbases on 10 May....