The US has said it is unlikely the Indian government would be in violation of sanctions on Russia if New Delhi chooses to take up the Russian offer of discounted crude oil, asserting, however, that it could place India on the wrong side of history.

Amid reports that Russia has offered discounted crude oil to India after Moscow lost several major buyers following the invasion of Ukraine, Russian deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak spoke to petroleum minister Hardeep Puri last week.

A statement issued by the Russian government about the conversation said: “We are interested in further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding Russian companies’ sales networks in India…. Russia’s oil and petroleum product exports to India have approached $1 billion, and there are clear opportunities to increase this figure.”

This came up at the White House media briefing on Tuesday when press secretary Jen Psaki was asked for Washington’s message to India or any other country tempted to take up the offer of discounted crude.

Psaki said: “Our message to any country continues to be that, obviously, abide by the sanctions… that we have put in place and recommended. I don’t believe this would be violating that. But also think about where you want to stand when the history books are written in this moment in time. And support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact.”

This is the second time this week such a message has rung out from the White House to India, which has resisted pressure at international forums to condemn Russia while stressing the need to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of States.

On Monday, asked if the economic war against Russia by the US and European countries was being undermined by countries like India, China, Brazil and Mexico, Psaki said: “It doesn’t undermine our efforts. We’ve been working to build a global coalition far beyond the G7 and our Nato partners, and had a great deal of success in that. And every country has to decide where they want to stand, where they want to be as we look and the history books are written.”

India has not yet responded to these remarks from the White House. But since Russia began bombing Ukraine, New Delhi has been toeing the middle line, refusing to pick a side in what it sees as a consequence of adherence to Cold War structures and an expansion of Nato to Russia’s borders despite the assurance given in 1990 that the military alliance would not stretch beyond its then eastern border.

Given that India also has a robust relationship with Ukraine, New Delhi has responded to Kyiv’s appeal for humanitarian aid and sent 90 tonnes of relief material to Ukraine.

India believes that dialogue and diplomacy is the only way out with foreign policy wonks maintaining that Ukraine has no option but to remain neutral, given its geographical location with Nato countries along its western border and Russia to its east.