During his visit to New Delhi, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Russia has increased its crude oil supplies to India, a move he described as part of publicly available trade data. This announcement comes as India awaits an extension of a US waiver that allows it to purchase Russian oil, which is critical due to ongoing logistical challenges in sourcing crude from the Gulf region amid the Iran conflict. Lavrov's discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Russia, particularly in energy trade and defense production. He assured India's leaders of continued supplies of fertilizers and coking coal, despite the backdrop of growing Western sanctions against Russia. Lavrov also suggested that India could play a significant role in mediating discussions between the US and Iran, leveraging its diplomatic experience to foster dialogue. He proposed that India could host talks involving Iran and the UAE to help resolve ongoing regional hostilities, further emphasizing the importance of India's diplomatic engagement in global issues.