Russian Oil: A new problem may arise in the coming days for India, which buys cheap crude oil from Russia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in his recent statement that America wants to end these exemptions as soon as possible. The US has repeatedly commented on purchasing Russian oil since the Ukraine conflict began. Claiming that income from crude oil exports helps finance Moscow’s military campaign.

The Senate’s foreign relations meeting was held on Tuesday. During this time, these comments have again rekindled a long-standing issue of tension between New Delhi and Washington. The United States has repeatedly criticized purchases of Russian oil since the start of the Ukraine war, claiming that the income from crude oil exports helps finance Moscow’s military campaign. However, Trump also granted a temporary waiver when global energy markets faced pressure from the proposal due to the war imposed on Iran by the US and Israel. Let us tell you, the exemption was given for the first time in March and was later extended twice, it is going to end on June 17.

India is likely to take a strong stand

Now there is a possibility of India taking a strong stand in the matter. In such a situation, many experts have clarified that the import of Russian oil by India helped in preventing the energy crisis from becoming worse by ensuring the availability of Russian crude oil, even if it was sold at concessional rates. This issue is not limited to oil only.

New Delhi has consistently maintained that energy procurement is motivated by national interest, conservation and energy security. The government has repeatedly defended its right to buy oil from any trader who meets the country’s needs.

Trump will give a big blow to India, will impose tariffs again, China-Bangladesh also named in the list, Pakistan exempted?

What does this mean for India?

US President Trump has imposed duty of up to 25 percent on Indian goods. After which the pressure on purchase of Russian oil from India has increased. Trump had accused New Delhi of helping finance Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine. Washington has repeatedly presented its stand in the matter. Washington said revenues from Russian crude oil exports helped Moscow finance its military operations.

Trump has also claimed on several occasions that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would gradually stop purchasing Russian oil. Although New Delhi has not openly confirmed any such loyalty, the issue later came up during extensive trade talks between the two countries.

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According to the White House, following the US-India trade deal, Trump agreed to withdraw the additional 25 percent tariffs if India pledged to stop purchasing Russian oil. The document said the tariff reduction was linked to India’s pledge to stop forward or backward imports of Russian crude. At the same time, there is a larger geopolitical goal behind the concern about restrictions. Washington is pressuring India and other major importers to gradually reduce their reliance on Russian crude and seek supplies from other sources, particularly Venezuela.

The funding dispute related to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in America seems to be gaining momentum. In the midst of the government funding crisis looming in America, President Donald Trump bluntly said that if the Democrats in Congress do not immediately agree on funding for airport security, then he will deploy federal immigration agents at American airports.

Trump strongly criticized the immigrants from Somalia, saying that they have entered what was once a great state of Minnesota with the approval of the ‘corrupt’ governor, Attorney General and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

What did Trump say?

On the social media platform Truth, Trump posted, ‘If the radical left Democrats do not immediately sign an agreement to make our country free and safe again, especially our airports, I will deploy my talented and patriotic ICE agents to the airports where they will impose unprecedented security measures, including the immediate arrest of all illegal immigrants coming into our country, especially those coming from Somalia, who have defied the corrupt governor, attorneys With the approval of the General and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the state of Minnesota has been completely ruined.

DHS bill was not passed

Trump further said, ‘I look forward to seeing ICE active at our airports. Make America Great Again!’ His statement came to light when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) bill could not be passed in the Senate on Friday (March 20). The Democrats had refused to provide the necessary support to pass this bill.

heated funding dispute

Let us tell you that the issue of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding dispute seems to be gaining momentum in America. Due to which a situation of government shutdown seems to be brewing. Democrats argue that the way the government is enforcing immigration laws is a matter of concern. At the same time, the Republican Party argues that funding DHS is necessary for border security and running the government.

The US government shutdown has now entered its sixth week, leaving millions of federal employees across the country working without pay or being furloughed. Due to the shutdown, flights are being canceled at airports. Food aid programs are affected. Common people are being affected due to the stoppage of government services. According to experts, this has become the longest government shutdown in American history, raising questions not only about the administrative structure but also the credibility of the democratic process.

For the first time, Senate lawmakers are trying to break this deadlock, but there are no signs of any progress in bipartisan talks. Democrats want the government to first pass the federal budget and then discuss policy issues, while the Trump administration is adamant on combining health policy and border security talks. This impasse is slowly starting to affect the American economy. Government loans to small businesses are closed, national parks and museums are locked, and many government contractors are on the verge of bankruptcy.

Trump’s adamant stance – ‘No compromise’

President Donald Trump made it clear on social media on Saturday (November 8, 2025) that he is not ready to compromise with the Democrats. He attacked the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and said that it is the worst health care system in the world. Trump wants Congress to give money directly to citizens so they can buy insurance themselves. This is an idea that can bring fundamental changes in the American health system. However, Trump’s proposal has been rejected outright by the Democratic Party, saying it will give unfair advantage to insurance companies and the private health sector and will make healthcare more expensive for the poor.

Trump attacks filibuster, demands change in Senate procedure

Amid the shutdown crisis, Trump has made another controversial suggestion. He asked Republican lawmakers to eliminate the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes in the Senate to pass any legislation. If this rule is abolished, Republicans can pass legislation with a simple majority, thereby completely bypassing the Democrats.

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The country’s longest government shutdown going on in America is impacting air travel. From Friday, flights will be reduced at about 40 major airports including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. This decision has been taken due to shortage of air traffic control staff and to maintain safety.

FAA decides to cut flights by 10%
The FAA said it would reduce air traffic by up to 10% at 40 “high-volume” airports. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight capacity at 40 major airports across the country could be reduced by 10% in the coming days. The shutdown has now entered its 37th day and has become America’s longest government shutdown to date.

Political deadlock causes shutdown
This time the main cause of controversy is the expansion of the tax credit scheme related to health insurance. The Democratic Party wants this tax credit to continue beyond 2025, so that millions of Americans can get affordable health insurance. At the same time, the Republican Party, whose leader is Donald Trump, is opposing this expansion. Due to this, the government budget could not be passed and America went into a shutdown situation from October 1.

Lack of air traffic controllers and flights affected
Due to the shutdown, there is a huge shortage of air traffic controllers. There have already been restrictions on flights at New York’s JFK, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports due to staff shortage. FAA chief Brian Bedford said many air traffic controllers were falling sick due to stress and fatigue, and had not been paid for a month. Due to this, flights will be reduced in the coming days.

Federal employee status and cutback plans
Approximately 1.4 million federal employees are working without pay or are on forced leave. Many employees are forced to take other jobs or struggle with stress.
The flight reduction plan will be implemented in this way-

• 4% reduction in domestic flights on Friday
• 5% reduction on Saturday
• 6% decrease on Sunday
• Increase by 10% next week

According to CBS News, this reduction will apply to America’s busiest airports – Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O’Hare and Los Angeles International.

The US government has said it will fight lawsuits aimed at blocking the US$100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa applications. He said the system has been filled with fraud for too long and should be overhauled to prioritize American workers. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Levitt made this comment on Thursday (October 23, 2025).

A lawsuit was filed last week by the US Chamber of Commerce against the fee of US $ 100,000 on H-1B visa applications. The lawsuit filed described the US government’s tariff move as a ‘misleading policy’ and ‘clearly illegal’ action, which could undermine American innovation and competition.

US government’s clarification regarding H-1B visa system

Various employee organizations, employers and religious organizations have filed suit in a federal court in California against the Trump administration’s decision to impose excessive fees on new H-1B applications. “The administration will fight these lawsuits in court,” Levitt told reporters. He said that the main priority of President Donald Trump has always been to give priority to American workers and strengthen the visa system.

Levitt said, ‘For too long, the H-1B visa system has been rife with fraud and has driven down wages for Americans. Therefore, the President wants to improve this system and that is why he has implemented these new policies.

Adverse impact on Indian citizens

On September 19, Trump had decided to increase the fee for the new H-1B visa to one lakh US dollars (about Rs 88 lakh). This step may adversely affect Indian professionals living in America on visa. According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), about 71 percent of all H-1B applications approved in recent years are from Indians.

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