Gambit of Betrayal

In his desperation to tame Putin and salvage America's trade prospects, Donald Trump's weaponisation of tariffs will weaken alliances and inadvertently nudge New Delhi towards Beijing

- DIPANKAR DEY

The US President Donald Trump has found a scapegoat in India for his failure to convince Vladimir Putin to end the Russia-Ukraine war. On Monday (August 18), White House trade adviser Peter Navarro accused India of financing Russia's war in Ukraine. As the largest purchaser of Russian oil, China imported a record 109 million tonnes of this product last year, representing nearly 20 percent of its total energy imports; Chinese customs data showed. India, by contrast, imported 88 million tonnes of Russian oil in 2024. Again on Tuesday (August 19), the White House Press Secretary said that US President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on India to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday (August 19) accused India of "profiteering" by reselling Russian oil while sparing China for the same, saying it has "diversified inputs of their oil." China's oil imports from Russia have increased only 3 percent post the Russia-Ukraine war, while India's oil imports from Russia have increased over 40 percent. "They've made USD 16 billion in excess profits—some of the richest families in India," Bessent alleged. In August, China has nearly doubled its import of Russian crude, capitalizing on reduced shipments that India has halted amid rising pressure from US trade tariffs.