External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted India’s growing unease over tightening energy trade, limited market access, and fragile supply chains during the East Asia Summit in Malaysia. Speaking amid trade tensions triggered by U.S. sanctions and tariffs under the Donald Trump administration, Jaishankar warned that selective application of global trade principles and constricted energy flows were distorting markets.

He stressed that conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine have worsened food insecurity and disrupted energy supplies. Without naming the U.S. directly, Jaishankar alluded to Washington’s recent 25% tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil and sanctions on major Russian oil companies, which have affected India’s imports.

India, which sources over one-third of its crude from Russia, has defended its purchases as market-driven and essential for energy security. Jaishankar said these shifts would compel nations to adapt and form new partnerships, adding that global multipolarity was set to deepen.

Condemning terrorism as a “continuous and corrosive threat,” he urged the international community to maintain zero tolerance and uphold every nation’s right to self-defense. Jaishankar also supported the Gaza peace initiative and called for a swift resolution to the Ukraine war.

At the ASEAN and East Asia summits, he reaffirmed India’s commitment to regional peace, maritime cooperation under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and adherence to international maritime law. Referring to Myanmar, he noted ongoing work on the India-Myanmar-Thailand highway project but voiced concern over cyber scam centres in the region exploiting Indian citizens.