Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin criticised the United States for what he described as a &ldquo;hypocritical&rdquo; stance on India&rsquo;s continued purchase of Russian oil, questioning whether Washington can offer New Delhi affordable alternatives in the required volumes.
Rubin argued that the US itself procures materials from Russia and should not &ldquo;lecture India&rdquo; on its energy decisions. 
&ldquo;The US is being hypocritical because we purchase from Russia. We purchase goods and materials for which we don't have alternative markets. We are being hypocritical when we lecture India,&rdquo; he said.
Emphasising India&rsquo;s energy needs, Rubin noted that the country is the &ldquo;world's most populous&rdquo; and must prioritise its national interests. 
&ldquo;What Americans don't understand is that Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests,&rdquo; he added.
Rubin also questioned whether the US can meet India&rsquo;s fuel requirements at competitive prices. 
&ldquo;&hellip;If we do not want India to purchase Russian fuel, what are we going to do to provide fuel to India at a cheaper price and in the quantities India needs? If we don't have an answer for that, our best approach is simply to shut up because India needs to take care of Indian security first,&rdquo; he said.
Speaking about Russian President Vladimir Putin&rsquo;s visit to India, Rubin said the development reflects political dynamics in the US. 
He attributed the situation to what he called former President Donald Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;gross incompetence&rdquo;.&nbsp;
&ldquo;If you're the 65 % of Americans who dislike Donald Trump, according to the recent polls, then what we are seeing now is the result of Donald Trump's gross incompetence,&rdquo; he said.
Rubin further remarked that Trump "deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for "bringing India and Russia together the way he did.""
He added that Putin&rsquo;s visit is seen through contrasting political lenses in the US. 
&ldquo;If you're Donald Trump, it's being perceived through the lens of "I told you so" that this embrace of India towards Russia is affirming what Donald Trump wants his spin to be,&rdquo; he said.

Former Pentagon official speaking on India policy

Ex-Pentagon official questions US stance on India’s Russian oil purchases

Ex-US Official Calls US 'Hypocritical' On India

Ex-Pentagon official questions US stance on India’s Russian oil purchases

December 6, 2025 | 10:57 IST