Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has taken aim at the United States for what he described as punitive and discriminatory tariffs targeting India’s oil trade with Russia, accusing Washington of unfairly singling out New Delhi while overlooking similar behavior from Western allies. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave on October 5, Jaishankar urged the two nations to find a “landing ground” on trade matters, warning that the current measures risk undermining the strategic trust underpinning the US-India partnership.

The controversy stems from a 25% tariff Washington imposed in August on India’s purchases of Russian oil, part of a broader set of punitive trade measures following the failure of the two countries to reach a new trade agreement. The tariff, which effectively penalizes India for maintaining energy ties with Moscow amid Western sanctions, comes as global tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine continue to reshape energy alliances.

Jaishankar did not mince words about what he viewed as Washington’s hypocrisy. “We regard this as very unfair,” he said. “It has picked on us for sourcing energy from Russia when there are other countries that have done so – including countries that right now have a far more antagonistic relationship with Russia than we do.”

The minister’s comments reflect mounting frustration in New Delhi over what Indian officials perceive as the West’s selective application of economic punishment. While the United States and European Union have repeatedly urged India to curtail its imports of Russian crude – arguing that such purchases indirectly fund Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine – Western nations themselves continue to engage in nuanced, and at times opaque, trade practices that indirectly........

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