US Advisor Threatens India Over Trade Deal, Russian Oil Imports

The US has issued another threat regarding a trade deal. Two of Trump's advisors have warned India against buying Russian oil and not opening its markets.

Trump Tariff: A 50% American tariff came into effect on India on Wednesday, August 27th, increasing difficulties for Indian exporters. Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council and White House advisor, has issued a direct threat, stating that President Trump's stance will not soften unless India opens its markets to the US.

Hassett stated, "I think it's a complicated relationship. Part of it is tied to efforts to put pressure on Russia," adding that this is to achieve a peace agreement and save millions of lives. He reiterated his view that India has been inflexible in opening its market.

The Path to Peace Partially Lies Through India: Navarro

Peter Navarro, US diplomat and advisor to President Trump, also commented on India's purchase of Russian oil. He claimed that India has fueled the war by buying Russian oil and that the US will take even stronger measures if India continues its current stance. In a media interview, he stated that the path to peace in the Russia-Ukraine war partially lies through India. He added that the American tariff could be easily reduced; a 25% reduction would occur if India stopped buying oil from Russia. He described Modi as a great leader and India as a large democracy run by very intelligent people.

Good Relationship Between Modi and Trump: Besant

In an interview with Fox News, Besant stated that while the bilateral relationship between India and the US is complex, both countries will eventually come together. He said, “The recent unease in the relationship between New Delhi and Washington is not only due to the purchase of Russian oil, but also due to the delay in reaching a trade agreement. The relationship between India and the US is complex, but the personal relationship between PM Modi and President Trump is excellent. India initiated talks after the tariff policy announcement, but we haven't reached any conclusion yet. Initially, I thought this trade deal would happen quickly.”

US Treasury Secretary Besant stated that India is the world's largest democracy and the US is the world's largest economy, adding that they will ultimately come together. He mentioned this point during negotiations regarding the tariff, stating that whenever there is a rift in bilateral trade relations, the country with the deficit benefits, while the country with the surplus is concerned. He highlighted that India is selling goods to the US, but high tariffs in India are resulting in a significant deficit for the US.