Republican leader and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, has asked India to take the issue of Russian oil imports seriously and work on a solution with the United States. This came after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on India to 50 per cent for buying oil from Russia.
Haley said the US needs a partner like India to counter China.
“India must take Trump's point over Russian oil seriously, and work with the White House to find a solution. The sooner the better. Decades of friendship and good will between the world's two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence. Navigating issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demands hard dialogue. But, we should not lose sight of what matters most: our shared goals. To face China, the United States must have a friend in India,” she posted on X.
Haley warns Trump against ‘strategic disaster’
Earlier, she warned Trump against strained ties with India, listing several points why New Delhi was important for the US. Haley said India was a "prized free and democratic partner" to counter China. She said "scuttling 25 years of momentum" with New Delhi would amount to a "strategic disaster."
Trump’s tariff attack
Donald Trump on August 1 signed an Executive Order titled 'Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates', imposing increased tariffs on goods from over 60 countries. India was among those hit hardest, facing a steep 25 per cent tariff. Later, the US increased levies on India to a whopping 50 per cent, asserting that it was a penalty on New Delhi for buying oil from Russia.
India’s response on tariffs
The MEA highlighted the double standards of the US and the EU, asserting that both have been importing commodities from Russia. The Foreign Ministry also categorically conveyed that India will continue to take steps to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
“The Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, and machinery and transport equipment. Where the US is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals. In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the MEA said.
