India-US Relations: US President Donald Trump has once again talked about his relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trump said that relations between the two are good, but PM Modi is not happy with the heavy tariffs imposed on India for the purchase of Russian oil.

Referring to his conversation with PM Modi during the House GOP member retreat, Trump said that relations between America and India are still friendly, but the tariff issue is creating tension. He also talked about the discussions he had with PM Modi regarding defense deals and tariffs.

Trump said this

Trump said, ‘I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi, but he is not happy with me because India has to pay higher tariffs. However, now they have reduced oil purchases from Russia to a great extent. America has imposed a total of 50 percent tariffs on India, out of which 25 percent tariffs have been imposed for purchasing oil from Russia. America believes that by buying oil from Russia, India is indirectly strengthening Russia’s economy, while the Russia-Ukraine war continues. This statement of Trump has come at a time when a day earlier he had warned that if India does not address American concerns regarding oil imports from Russia, then tariffs on Indian goods can be further increased.

‘Modi knew I was not happy’

Trump said, ‘Modi knew that I was not happy. He wanted to make me happy. Modi is a very good person. In his speech, Trump also defended the tariff policy and said that America is benefiting economically from it. He also said that America is using tariffs to protect its interests.

In recent times, Trump has been continuously putting pressure on India to buy oil from Russia. They allege that India is giving financial help to Russia by buying cheap Russian oil. For this reason, higher duty has been imposed on Indian products.

India had rejected Trump’s claim

However, India has already rejected Trump’s claim that PM Modi has assured to stop purchasing oil from Russia. India has made it clear that no such talks or promises have taken place. Meanwhile, Trump is also presenting himself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war. He has talked to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although no concrete results have been announced yet.

Putin India Visit: At present the world seems to be clearly divided into two axes. On one side is Russian President Vladimir Putin and on the other side is American President Donald Trump. America’s tariff policy and the anti-Russian stance of Western countries have increased global tension.

At the same time, India and China are prominent among the countries that openly support Russia. This support Russia is getting from Asia is troubling the western countries. In this background, Putin’s visit to India has become even more important.

Strategic strength of India and Russia in the eyes of China

China’s official newspaper Global Times wrote that the two leaders will discuss important issues like defense cooperation, energy security, trade expansion, technology and partnership in new emerging capabilities. Besides, the geopolitical situation of Euro Asia and Indo Pacific region will also be considered. According to reports, India and Russia are going to sign 10 government agreements and more than 15 business deals. This visit is taking place at a time when the European Commission is coming forward with tough proposals on the use of Russian funds, hence Putin’s visit to India is being considered as a direct message to the Western countries.

‘India-Russia partnership will not come under external pressure’

Professor Li Haidong of China Foreign Affairs University told Global Times that India-Russia relations are extremely strategic and can withstand any external pressure. He says that this partnership shows that neither India nor Russia is going to bow down to Western pressure. According to Lee, this cooperation shows the world that Russia is still an influential power and Western sanctions have not been able to weaken it. Also, India is not going to come under the pressure of America to buy oil and decides its foreign policy only on the basis of national interests.

India may soon import cheaper oil from Russia and also get more consignment of S-400 missile system. Russia has offered India a discount of 3 to 4 dollars per barrel on its ural crude oil compared to Brent. Last week, this discount was around $ 2.5 and about $ 1 in July. This offer is offered for cargo loaded in the late September and October. This has been revealed in the reports on Tuesday (2 September).

On the other hand, talks are going on between India and Russia regarding the additional supply of the S-400 missile system. Russia will hand over the last two units to India by 2026 and 2027. Significantly, in the year 2018, there was an agreement of $ 5.5 billion between the two countries, under which five S-400 units were to be received. Three of these units have already been received by India.

India may soon get new consignment of S-400 air defense system

India is expected to get a new consignment of cheap oil and S-400 air defense system from Russia. It is being told that the S-400 system played a big role in India’s Operation Sindoor at terrorist bases in Pakistan and PoK in May.

Russian officer Dimitri Shugayev said that there is scope to increase cooperation in this area and negotiations are going on on new delivery. This offer has come at a time when India is facing pressure from America. Recently, President Donald Trump has imposed 50% tariff on Indian imports. Half of these tariffs have been imposed for increasing oil trade from Russia in India. According to US officials, India’s Russian oil imports have increased considerably since the Ukraine War started in 2022.

India can get more supply of oil than before

According to a report by Reuters, the oil supply to India from Russia in September may increase by 10–20%, that is, an additional 1.5 to 3 lakh barrels daily as compared to August, but America is very angry at this increasing imports. Many top officials of Trump administration have targeted India. He says that India is earning a profit of billions of dollars by purchasing cheaper oil from Russia.

What did American Treasury Secretary Scott Besant say?

American Treasury Secretary Scott Besant recently said, “Indian Arbitraj (Business to buy cheap oil and sell further) has started only during Ukraine War. It is completely unacceptable. India is making profiteering and earning billions.”

In early August, Donald Trump, while announcing 50% tariff on India, described the deals from Russia directly. He wrote on Truth social social, “India has always done a large part of its military deals from Russia and in terms of energy, he is the biggest buyer of Russia with China. While the whole world wants Russia to stop the violence in Ukraine …”

Meanwhile, the latest reports have come to light when Prime Minister Modi and President Putin met in Tianjin, China during the SCO Summit. In this meeting, the two leaders described India-Russia relations as the best and strong. Putin called PM Modi his beloved friend and said that the relationship between the two countries is moving dynamic and fast.

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Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir is directly in touch with the Trump administration to persuade the US to excavate rare meaning and oil. Analysts say the deal may offend the local population and entangle Washington into unstable domestic conflict.

Times of Israel report
According to the report published in the Times of Israel, Trump is assured that Pakistan may be a source of rare minerals and oil. But it has been removed from the President’s briefing that mining in areas like Balochistan, Waziristan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be extremely difficult or impossible. These areas are also hostile to Pakistan’s army and have given up to China here.

Warning of experts
Geophysical expert Sergio Restley says that if Trump continues on this path, the US will again return to the same areas which Biden left, citing Doha Agreement. Other analysts said that Balochistan has long been the center of ethnic and political unrest. The perception of exploitation by external forces has spoiled the situation.

China’s role and local resentment
China’s influence has already increased local dissatisfaction through CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor). Now if the US is involved in extracting resources, then this protest may increase further.

18th Amendment and local rights
According to the resteli, even after 15 years of the 18th amendment in Pakistan, the provinces have not got real rights on their resources. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is full of marble, granite, gems, chromite and copper, yet this area is poor because the profit goes to the center and does not cost local structures, education or health. The condition of Balochistan is the worst. There is a glut of resources like copper, gold, coal and rare meanings, but it is the poorest and backward province in Pakistan.

American interest and potential results
According to the report, the Trump administration has declared rare minerals as a national security priority and is watching Pakistan to reduce dependence on China. At the same time, Islamabad is eager to get foreign currency. But the deals are always fixed in the center, the army implements them and imposed on the local public.

History is a witness that projects like RECO Dick and Sandak brought a promise of billions of dollars but the local people got homeless, pollution and unrest. If America also joined now, this model will become more rigid.

Possible results- not development, repression
Experts say that such projects will not be development but repression-villages will be converted into siege, disagreement will be made a crime, royalty will be stopped and the army will be deployed in the name of strategic security. As a result, the anti -America will be anger and faster, because at the grassroots level people will find this partnership like American collusion.