Anna Hartz
Trump Uses India to Squeeze Putin
The war in Ukraine has dragged on. The U.S. wants to stop it. Now, Donald Trump is taking a new path.
He’s looking to pressure Russia not just directly, but through its friends, according to Bloomberg.
India is one of those friends. And that’s where Trump’s focus is shifting.
A Sharp Turn for American Politics
For years, the U.S. accepted that India had a long-standing relationship with Russia. That relationship grew out of decades of cooperation.
The U.S. often looked the other way. India was seen as a key partner in Asia, especially to counter China’s growing influence.
That’s no longer the case. In recent speeches, Trump has called out India. He’s criticized their membership in the BRICS group and slammed them for staying close to Moscow. This is a sharp turn from previous American policy.
India isn’t backing down. A spokesperson for the Indian Foreign Ministry said their ties with Russia are “stable and time-tested.”
He added that every country has its own relationships, and India’s choices shouldn’t be judged through the lens of someone else’s conflict. He also said he was confident that U.S.-India relations would keep growing.
Continuous Oil Trading with Russia
At the same time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing for more support of local goods.
His government is also sticking with its decision to keep buying oil from Russia. That’s something the U.S. doesn’t like.
Now Trump is hitting India with tariffs. A 25% tax has been placed on goods coming into the U.S. from India.
He’s even threatening to double that if India keeps buying Russian oil. A U.S. delegation is heading to India soon to try and work out a new trade deal.
White House adviser Stephen Miller has gone further. He said India is helping fund Russia’s war through its oil purchases. The pressure campaign is clearly growing.
The message from Trump is loud and clear. If you want to do business with America, stop doing business with Russia.
