External Affairs Minister Jaishankar hits out at ‘unilateral’ sanctions days before expiry of U.S.’ Russian oil waiver

At the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly criticised unilateral sanctions and coercive economic ...

What Happened

At the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly criticised unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures imposed outside the framework of international law.
He stated that "unjustifiable measures cannot substitute dialogue, nor can pressure replace diplomacy," in an implicit reference to the escalating use of sanctions as instruments of foreign policy by major powers.
Jaishankar emphasised that such coercive measures disproportionately affect developing nations, which bear the economic costs without having imposed or consented to such actions.
He also flagged concerns about the West Asia conflict, stating "peace cannot be piecemeal," and called for unimpeded maritime flows as vital to global economic well-being.
His remarks came without naming any specific country, reflecting India's consistent strategic posture of opposing sanctions-driven unilateralism while maintaining partnerships across geopolitical divides.

Static Topic Bridges

Unilateral Sanctions and International Law

Unilateral sanctions are restrictive measures imposed by one state or a bloc of states against another, outside the mandate of the UN Security Council. They differ from multilateral sanctions authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which carry binding legal force for all member states. Critics — including a large bloc of Global South countries — argue that unilateral sanctions circumvent international law, violate state sovereignty, and impose asymmetric costs on third parties and civilian populations.

GATT Article XXI (the 'national security exception') is frequently invoked to legally justify trade-related sanctions at the WTO, though panels have held that such measures are subject to a 'good faith' review.
WTO dispute settlement has increasingly found that the national security exception cannot be used to simply re-label trade interests as security interests to escape multilateral obligations.
The UN Charter (Chapter VII, Articles 41–42) authorises the Security Council — not individual states — to mandate economic sanctions against states threatening international peace.
Unilateral sanctions lack the legal universality of UN-mandated measures and create friction within the multilateral rules-based order.

Connection to this news: India's position at the BRICS meeting directly challenges the legitimacy of unilateral economic coercion as a foreign policy tool, reflecting a broader Global South consensus that developing countries suffer disproportionate harm from such measures.

India's Strategic Autonomy Doctrine

Strategic autonomy is India's long-standing foreign policy principle of maintaining independent decision-making and avoiding binding alignment with any single power or bloc. It allows India to engage with all major powers — the US, Russia, China, and the EU — on its own terms, resist external pressure, and prioritise national interest.

India has historically abstained from UN resolutions condemning Russia over Ukraine, citing the need for dialogue over sanctions.
India continues to purchase Russian crude oil despite Western pressure, leveraging the price discount for energy security.
Strategic autonomy is distinct from non-alignment (the Cold War doctrine); it is active, interest-based engagement rather than passive withdrawal.
India's stance at multilateral forums consistently opposes extraterritorial application of national laws — a key feature of US secondary sanctions.

Connection to this news: Jaishankar's remarks at the BRICS meeting are a textbook articulation of strategic autonomy — India declines to endorse Western-led sanctions regimes while simultaneously participating in forums like the Quad, reflecting its multi-vector foreign policy.

BRICS as a Platform for Reforming Global Governance

BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) is an intergovernmental organisation of major emerging economies that advocates for a multipolar world order and reform of international institutions. India holds the BRICS Chairmanship in 2026, the fourth time it has done so (after 2012, 2016, and 2021).

BRICS was expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and UAE as full members; Indonesia joined in January 2025 as the 10th member.
An additional 13 countries — including Indonesia, Turkey, and Malaysia — were invited as 'partner countries' in October 2024.
The expanded BRICS+ accounts for approximately 37% of global GDP and over half the world's population.
BRICS consistently advocates for reform of the IMF, World Bank, and UN Security Council to give greater voice to the Global South.

Connection to this news: The BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting is a key platform for articulating collective positions against Western-led unilateralism, and India's chairship in 2026 positions it to shape the bloc's priorities on sanctions, multilateralism, and economic cooperation.

Key Facts & Data

India holds the BRICS Chairmanship in 2026 (assumed January 1, 2026), succeeding Brazil.
BRICS now has 10 full members following the 2024 expansion: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, and Indonesia.
BRICS+ accounts for approximately 37% of global GDP and over 3.5 billion people.
GATT Article XXI (national security exception) is the primary WTO provision invoked to justify trade sanctions.
UN Charter Chapter VII (Articles 41–42) authorises the Security Council to impose binding multilateral sanctions.
India is the world's third-largest consumer of crude oil, importing approximately 87% of its requirements.
India has hosted BRICS summits/chairships in 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2026.
Russian FM Sergey Lavrov attended the New Delhi BRICS meet; China was represented by its Ambassador rather than FM Wang Yi.