‘Not had a US President who conducts foreign policy as publicly as Trump’: Jaishankar hits out at US tariff, says talks on, ‘lines not cut’

Speaking at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum 2025, Jaishankar said: “We have not had a US President who has conducted foreign policy as publicly as the current one. That itself is a departure that’s not limited to India… President Trump’s way of dealing with the world is a very major departure… the application of tariffs in this manner even for trade is novel…. the application of tariffs on non-trade is even more so”.

Trump has announced 50 per cent tariff on Indian products, the highest on any country globally. While 25 per cent tariff has already come into effect, the levy of another 25 per cent – over energy imports from Russia – is supposed to be enforced from August 27.

Earlier this week, Jaishankar had said in Moscow that he was “very perplexed” by the additional 25 per cent US tariff on India because “it was the Americans” who said “we should do everything to stabilise the world’s energy markets, including buying oil from Russia”.

“… this (tariff) is being presented as an oil issue. But why I say ‘being presented’ is because the same arguments that have been used to target India have not been applied to the largest oil importer, which is China, and have not been applied to the largest LNG importer, which are the European nations,” he said on Saturday.

In Moscow, too, Jaishankar had pointed out that India was not the biggest purchaser of Russian oil or LNG.

Noting that “things are a little complicated”, Jaishankar pointed to the “inconsistency” in the West’s stance, saying Europe trades far more with Russia than India. “And when people say we are funding the (Russia-Ukraine) war and putting the money… Russia-European trade is bigger than India-Russia trade. So is Europe not putting money in Russia’s coffers?” he said.

“The overall Russia-EU trade is bigger than the Russia-India trade. If the argument is energy, they (EU) are bigger buyers. If the argument is who is the bigger trader, they are bigger than us. India’s exports to Russia have grown, but not that much,” he said.

His remarks come in the backdrop of Trump and his senior officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro, criticising India for buying Russian oil and fuelling the Russian war machine.

Jaishankar also responded to repeated allegations by the Trump administration that India was “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… 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 said.

He emphasised that New Delhi’s priority was to protect farmers and small producers, and the government would not compromise on their interests. “What we are concerned about is that red lines are primarily the interest of our farmers and, to some extent, our small producers. So when people pronounce that we have succeeded or failed, we as a government are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and small producers. We are determined on that. That’s not something we can compromise on,” Jaishankar said. “The issue of decisions which we make in our national interest is our right. And I would say that’s what strategic autonomy is about,” he said.

With Trump repeatedly claiming to have brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan during the hostilities in May, Jaishankar said: “For more than 50 years now, there is a national consensus in our country that India will not accept mediation in our relations with Pakistan”.

He also rejected observations that India’s relations with China are improving in view of the strain in New Delhi-Washington ties. “I think it would be a mistaken analysis to try and crunch everything and make it into an integrated response to a very specific situation,” he said.