“India must take Trump’s point over Russian oil seriously,” mentioned Republican chief Nikki Haley, including that New Delhi should work with the White House to discover a answer, “sooner the better”. “Navigating issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demands hard dialogue,” Ms. Haley posted on social media on Saturday (August 23, 2025).
She posted on X a portion of the opinion piece she wrote final week for Newsweek amid pressure in ties between the 2 international locations after President Donald Trump slapped 50% tariff on Indian items.
Ms. Haley has been dealing with criticism inside her celebration for favouring India amid tariff tensions between the 2 international locations.
In her article Ms. Haley mentioned, “Trump is right to target India’s massive Russian oil purchases, which are helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine.” However, she added that India should be handled just like the “prized free and democratic partner that it is — not an adversary like China.” Ms. Haley highlighted many years of “friendship and goodwill” between India and the U.S., the world’s two largest democracies. It gives a “solid basis to move past the current turbulence”, she added. She mentioned that the U.S. and India “should not lose sight of what matters most: our shared goals”. “To face China, the United States must have a friend in India,” she added. “India stands alone in its potential to manufacture at China-like scale for products that can’t be quickly or efficiently produced here [in the U.S.],” Ms. Haley mentioned in her article.
Ms. Haley, the previous Governor of South Carolina, was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations beneath Mr. Trump’s first presidential time period, changing into the primary Indian-American to be appointed to a Cabinet-level publish within the U.S. administration.
In 2013, she formally introduced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election and withdrew from the race in March final 12 months. President Trump has doubled tariffs on Indian items to a whopping 50%, together with a 25% further duties for India’s buy of Russian crude oil that may come into impact from August 27.
Also learn: Will India collapse to U.S. stress on Russian oil? | Explained
Defending its buy of Russian crude oil, India has been sustaining that its power procurement is pushed by nationwide curiosity and market dynamics.
India turned to buying Russian oil offered at a reduction after Western international locations imposed sanctions on Moscow and shunned its provides over its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
