India on Friday said it is “closely monitoring” a proposed US sanctions legislation that could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries importing Russian oil, asserting that its energy procurement is guided by national priorities and the energy security needs of its 1.4 billion citizens.Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi had taken note of the developments in Washington and remained engaged with relevant stakeholders in the United States.“We are aware of this development and are closely monitoring the situation,” Jaiswal said.“As you are well aware, our position on energy security has been clarified and clearly articulated on several occasions. This is something predicated on our national priorities and on securing the energy needs of our 1.4 billion citizens through diversified sources, including the United States,” he added.Jaiswal said India continues to engage with the US government at multiple levels on the issue.“We remain engaged with relevant stakeholders in the United States at various levels regarding this matter,” he said.His remarks come amid growing concern over the bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act (S.1241), which has advanced in the US Senate with the backing of more than 60 senators.The proposed legislation authorises tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from the world’s largest purchasers of Russian crude oil and natural gas—a category expected to include India and China if the Bill becomes law.The comments also follow reports quoting a US senator as saying the legislation had been carefully crafted to target India and China while ensuring that America’s European allies would remain unaffected.India has consistently defended its purchases of discounted Russian crude since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022, maintaining that its import decisions are driven by affordability, supply diversification and the country’s energy requirements rather than geopolitical considerations.