Delhi dancing to Washington’s tune on Russia oil, tariffs expose lack of sovereign policy
New Delhi: India’s decision to halt purchases of Russian oil in exchange for tariff concessions from the United States has once again exposed New Delhi’s shrinking policy autonomy, reinforcing the perception that the Modi-led government lacks an independent sovereign foreign and economic policy and is increasingly dancing to Washington’s tune.
According to Kashmir Media Service, US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal under which Washington would slash tariffs on Indian goods to 18 percent from a punitive 50 percent, provided New Delhi ends its imports of Russian oil and further lowers trade barriers for American products.
Trump also claimed that India had agreed to significantly reduce its tariff and non-tariff barriers against American goods.
Political analysts say the development lays bare India’s vulnerability to external pressure and contradicts New Delhi’s long-cherished claims of “strategic autonomy.” By linking its energy security and trade policy directly to US demands, India appears to have surrendered its independent decision-making in favor of appeasing Washington.
Observers note that Russia’s discounted oil had helped India manage import costs and inflation since the Ukraine conflict began in 2022. Abandoning these purchases under US pressure, critics argue, will harm India’s economic interests while aligning it more closely with Western geopolitical agendas.
