India must take Donald Trump’s concerns over Russian oil imports seriously and work proactively with the White House, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has said, urging a pragmatic approach to bilateral ties.
“The sooner the better,” she wrote on X (formally twitter). “Decades of friendship and goodwill between the world’s two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence… To face China, the United States must have a friend in India.”
Haley has sharply criticised Trump’s stance on India, asserting that New Delhi deserves to be seen as a “prized free and democratic partner,” not treated like an “adversary” akin to Beijing.
She cautioned against derailing decades of diplomatic progress, calling it a potential “strategic disaster.”
In a Newsweek opinion piece, Haley questioned why China hasn’t faced penalties for importing Russian oil, while India has. “India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is – not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow’s largest customers,” she wrote.
“If that disparity does not demand a closer look at US-India relations, the realities of hard power should. Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster.”
Haley emphasised India’s strategic relevance to the US, especially in diversifying critical supply chains away from China.
Jaishankar on Russian oil purchase
The relations between New Delhi and Washington are on a downturn after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 percent, including 25 percent additional duties for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil.
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Jaishankar also responded to repeated allegations by Trump administration officials that India is “profiteering” by buying discounted Russian crude oil and then selling refined petroleum products at premium prices in Europe and other places.
“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business,” Jaishankar said.
“That’s really curious. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. But Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” he added.