‘India Must Take It Seriously’: Nikki Haley Warns New Delhi Over Russian Oil Trade

<p>Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley has cautioned India to take Donald Trump&rsquo;s concerns over Russian oil imports &ldquo;seriously&rdquo; and to work with the White House on a resolution &ldquo;sooner rather than later.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Haley, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, stressed that decades of goodwill between the two democracies provide a foundation to overcome the current strain in bilateral ties.</p>
<p>&ldquo;India must take Trump&rsquo;s point over Russian oil seriously and work with the White House to find a solution. The sooner the better,&rdquo; she wrote in a post on X on Sunday. &ldquo;Decades of friendship and good will between the world&rsquo;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.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Shared Focus on China</h2>
<p>Haley, who served as US Ambassador to the United Nations during Trump&rsquo;s first term, underlined that Washington and New Delhi should not lose sight of their larger strategic goals.</p>
<p>&ldquo;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,&rdquo; she added.</p>
<p>Her remarks follow a recent Newsweek op-ed in which she warned that US-India ties were &ldquo;near a breaking point.&rdquo; She argued it was critical to restore relations if Washington hoped to counter Beijing&rsquo;s global ambitions. Haley emphasised that India should not be treated as an adversary like China, warning the Trump administration against allowing disputes over tariffs or America&rsquo;s role in India-Pakistan relations to damage a crucial partnership.</p>
<h2>Tariffs Escalate Tensions</h2>
<p>Relations between Washington and New Delhi have grown tense in recent weeks after the Trump administration imposed secondary tariffs on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil. The duties &mdash; which now exceed 50 per cent on some exports &mdash; are among the highest levied by Trump in his latest trade measures, apart from those targeting Brazil.</p>
<p>The move has drawn sharp criticism from New Delhi, with the Indian government calling the tariffs &ldquo;unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.&rdquo; Sectors such as textiles and marine exports are expected to be hit hard.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi also delivered a strong response, vowing that India would never compromise on the interests of its farmers and fishermen. &ldquo;I know I will have to pay the price, but I am ready to do it for our farmers,&rdquo; Modi said.</p>
<p>The sharp exchange underscores the fragile state of ties between the two countries at a time when both are seen as critical partners in countering China&rsquo;s rise.</p>