Nikki Haley calls on India to take Trump’s point over Russian oil ‘seriously’

“Decades of friendship and goodwill between the world’s two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence,” she said.

She then stressed that a strong partnership with India was crucial for the United States to face China.

“Navigating issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demands hard dialogue. 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,” the Republican leader added.

US should treat India as ‘prized free, democratic’ partner: Haley

Previously, Haley stressed that Washington’s priority should be to reverse its “downward spiral” in ties with New Delhi and that it must treat India as a “prized free and democratic” partner.

“India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is—not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow’s largest customers,” she underlined.

In an opinion piece co-authored by Haley and Bill Drexel for Newsweek, she highlighted India’s strategic role in helping the US counter China.

She noted that New Delhi was “essential in helping the United States move its critical supply chains away from China”, and that India “stands alone in its potential to manufacture at a China-like scale for products that can’t be quickly or efficiently produced here, like textiles, inexpensive phones, and solar panels”.

Jaishankar hits out at the US tariff

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday reiterated that the US tariff was “unjustified and unreasonable”, and said it was being wrongly “presented as an oil issue”. He also underlined that India has certain “red lines” and would not compromise on protecting the interests of its farmers and small producers.

He, however, said talks on the India-US trade deal were ongoing despite tensions.

“We are two big countries, we need to have conversations… and the lines are not cut, people are talking to each other, and we will see where that goes,” he said. Earlier, the US negotiators’ visit to India, scheduled for the second half of August, was “halted” for now.

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.

(With inputs from agencies)