A former Indian Foreign Secretary has said that Donald Trump’s “gratuitous swipe” at India about buying oil from Pakistan reveals his mindset even more blatantly. Trump, frustrated with the inconclusive trade deal talks, resorted to pressure tactics. The US President has said India would pay 25 per cent tariff from August 1, despite the ongoing trade talks.
Ex-foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said, “Reveals Trump’s mindset even more blatantly. The way he is alluding to South Korea ‘buying down’ the 25 per cent tariffs shows his strategy towards India. He obviously wants India to ‘buy’ reprieve from 25 per cent tariffs and penalty he has in mind by yielding to his demands to make the US ‘extremely happy’. US happiness has to be built on the pain of others and Trump will decide on the measure of “happiness” he feels entitled to.”
Trump has been miffed with India’s unwillingness to denounce Russian oil to favour US oil. India has been a long-time defence and energy customer of Russia and sources one-third of its oil imports from Moscow, up from below 1 per cent before Ukraine’s invasion.
The US President is not only unhappy with the deepening ties between Russia and India but has also threatened tariff hike and sanctions on New Delhi.
“The reference to US investing in Pakistan’s oil reserves contradicts his insistence that others invest in the US. Already the US is the biggest oil producer and has production interests in major oil producing countries, so what is his interest in exploring oil in Pakistan? Even China, entrenched in Pakistan, and a huge oil importer, has not announced any plans for oil production in Pakistan,” he pointed out.
“And why this gratuitous swipe at India about Pakistan one day selling oil to India when India has access to huge suppliers in the region, including potentially Iran. And why should India buy oil from Pakistan when it refuses to trade with India? Why this new compulsiveness to tag Pakistan to India? Or does he have in mind that Pakistan oil will replace Russian oil? Something wrong somewhere,” said Sibal.
Trump announced a new partnership between the United States and Pakistan on Thursday to develop Pakistan’s oil reserves. He suggested that the oil could eventually be sold to India. This announcement comes a day after the US imposed a 25 per cent tariff on India and warned of penalties over its continued trade with Russia. Trump posted on TruthSocial that the deal with Pakistan aims to tap into its massive oil reserves.