Posted on 08/20/2025 11:22:47 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
As External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar prepares for crucial talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, India finds itself at the centre of a diplomatic storm. President Trump has unleashed his most aggressive economic assault on India in recent memory, wielding tariffs and sanctions as weapons to force New Delhi away from its Russian partnerships.
The pressure campaign began in August 2025 with sweeping 25% tariffs on Indian exports, later doubled to 50% specifically targeting Russian oil imports. For a nation whose economic planners depend heavily on US markets, this represents a devastating blow. Nearly 70% of India's American exports now face punitive duties, threatening everyone from farmers to IT firms and small manufacturers.
Yet Trump's arsenal extends beyond tariffs. The spectre of secondary sanctions looms large, threatening to cut India from dollar-based financial networks if it maintains Russian trade ties. The warning is unambiguous: choose between Moscow and access to the global financial system dominated by Washington.
(Excerpt) Read more at indiatoday.in ...
“The warning is unambiguous: choose between Moscow and access to the global financial system dominated by Washington.”
A better way of putting it is choose an economic system run by despots that historically always fails, or one run by a bunch of people that do not trust each other that has historically shown nothing but success?
Nah. I just like screwing Russia whenever we can.
One of those dinosaur minds who can’t leave the Cold War behind?
Cheap energy and a buyer for all things made in India -I'd like that deal if I was India too.
For the rest of the world it might be time to cut off India until they stop otherwise they have no incentive not to.
They're finally becoming a significant economy on the world stage (just barely passing Japan for 4th place, by less than $1bn, according to the IMF rankings).
It certainly took them long enough, with over a billion population, AND the influence of the British colonial system... and even so, their per capita GDP is still on just par with most of subSaharan Africa (around $4.8k), well below China ($13.6k) and the global average ($14.2k)
Leeching off the USA. India sucks.
“And deport the H1B invaders back to the streets of Calcutta.”
How cruel! Let’s do it.
Not really. China and India have a long history of fraught relations and military clashes along their common border. And Trump’s strategy puts India and China in competition as to tariffs and much else.
“Not really. China and India have a long history of fraught relations and military clashes along their common border. And Trump’s strategy puts India and China in competition as to tariffs and much else.”
While that history is true, current history is also true and they have recently taken mutual steps to reduce the tension on their border, avoid further tension, increase their economic intercourse. All since Trump announced possible 50% tariffs on India for its Russian oil purchases and no similar tariffs announced for China. Indian nationalism was aroused, and China stepped up diplomatically to take advantage of that and start making amends with India, and India has responded positively.
Trump may think he’s playing a Nixon card with regard to China and Russia, but he’s also instigating China-India rapprochement.
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