The decision of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, has put in check the strategic relationship between Washington and New Delhi, designed to make China counterweight in Asia.
Although the White House alleges a commercial imbalance, Trump has directly linked the measure to the.
Next, the keys to understand this conflict:
What decision has announced USA?
The Trump administration has announced a “reciprocal tariff” of 25% on key Indian imports, including steel, aluminum, pharmaceutical and textile components, which could alter their relationship with the United States, which has established itself as the main commercial partner of India.
What are the reasons declared by Washington?
The White House presents a double argument. It justifies the measure in the need to correct a persistent commercial deficit, criticizing the high commercial barriers of the Asian country. However, .
“India and Russia can sink their economies together,” Trump said Thursday making it clear that the pressure is exerted by India’s refusal to isolate Moscow.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, India has become the main client of Russian crude, taking advantage of Moscow’s great discounts and generating a recorded record of 65.7 billion dollars.
How does the energy relationship of India and Russia work?
India not only buys the Russian crude for its internal consumption, but also processes it in its refineries and re -exports it as refined products (diesel, gasoline) to markets such as Europe, taking advantage of a “lagoon” in the western sanctions that, in practice, helps Moscow to continue selling its energy to the world.
How is India reacting?
New Delhi applies its “strategic autonomy” doctrine. Publicly, he has adopted a firmness position, ensuring that he does not feel “intimidated.” Strategically, it has accelerated its diversification of partners, and the historic free trade agreement is the clearest example of this movement.
Is India an unconditional partner of Russia?
While deepening its energy ties with Moscow by economic pragmatism, in defense does the opposite, taking a strategic turn to get away from the Russian weapons and approach the West (France and the US), of whom it has become a priority client.
What consequences can this clash have?
Tariffs could hit Indian exporters. In the long term, this conflict implies the toughest test for the “multi -family” policy of India and threatens to cool a relationship with the US that both countries considered essential for the balance of power in Asia in front of China.
