US Acts More As Adversary Than Ally: Indian Vet on Threats Over Russia Ties

The US has threatened to impose a 500 percent tariff on India for its purchase of crude oil from Russia, with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar expressing "concerns" over the development.

"Regarding Senator Lindsey Graham's bill, any development which is happening in the US Congress is of interest to us if it impacts our interest or could impact our interest," Jaishankar told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.

It is crucial to highlight that the proposed legislation, introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham, is getting bipartisan support in the Senate, the upper house of the US Congress.

The bill, when tabled in the US Congress, would allegedly introduce "bone-breaking sanctions" on Russia and its trading partners.

"If you're buying products from Russia, and you're not helping Ukraine, then there's a 500% tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70% of Putin's oil. They keep his war machine going," Graham said in a conversation with a news network.

Importantly, Graham has claimed that the bill enjoys the support of 84 co-sponsors in the Senate, which has 100 members. The overwhelming backing from lawmakers potentially gives the proposed law the cushion from a presidential veto in case President Donald Trump decides to oppose it.

However, one must not forget that India has managed challenges posed by Western sanctions in the past, something the country is expected to do again in its national interest, former Indian Navy officer, retired Commodore Seshadri Vasan underlined in an interview with Spuntik India.

This isn't the first time President Trump has threatened India with higher tariffs and sanctions. During his maiden term in office, he was virtually on the cusp of penalising India with an embargo for the country's decision to purchase the S-400 air defence systems from Russia, the IN veteran added.

Nonetheless, India was successful in convincing the then-Trump administration because it is one of the largest markets for the United States, the strategic affairs pundit stated.

"Moreover, if the current American dispensation pushes India to the brink, it would surely embrace other nations, including Russia, which has remained committed to India even when US has deserted it at critical times," Vasan stressed.

As far as India is concerned, it will buy oil from wherever it gets it at the most competitive price, therefore, the US cannot levy sanctions on commodities that are beneficial to India, he said.

He further pointed out that 'EAM Jaishankar has repeatedly blasted Western states for their hypocrisy,' highlighting that the amount of Russian oil India buys in a month from Russia, the Europeans import that much in just a day.

Additionally, these proposed sanctions, combined with other American moves that impact India's national security, like the over two-year delay in delivering the GE-F404 engines for Tejas warplanes, will compel India to make alternative arrangements, resulting in a loss of business worth billions of dollars for the US. Besides, this behaviour would once again put the spotlight on America's reliability and trustworthiness as a strategic partner for India, he noted.

"While there is a strategic partnership between India and the US. However, if one strategic partner, which in this case is the US, is sabotaging or hurting the other partner's (India) interests, then it is better to break this relationship as US actions are more of an adversary than of a friend," Vasan underscored.

Over and above that, if push came to shove, India should impose 1000 percent tariffs on American goods in response to the Trump administration's 500 percent tariffs, which was done so successfully by China earlier this month, forcing the Americans to back off, the international relations commentator concluded.

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