Washington, D.C. [US], August 24 (ANI): Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Sunday that India should take President Donald Trump’s position on Russian oil “seriously” and work with the White House to find a solution “the sooner the better.”
Haley emphasized that the “decades of friendship and goodwill” between the world’s two largest democracies provide a “solid basis” to overcome the “current turbulence,” stressing that to counter China, the United States “must have a friend in India.”
In a post on X, Haley wrote: “India must take Trump’s point over Russian oil seriously, and work with the White House to find a solution. The sooner the better. Decades of friendship and goodwill between the world’s two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence. Navigating issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demands hard dialogue. But we should not lose sight of what matters most: our shared goals. To face China, the United States must have a friend in India.”
India had earlier criticized Washington’s decision to raise duties to more than 50 percent as a penalty for its purchase of Russian oil. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday called the move “unjustified and unreasonable.”
Haley on Friday underlined the importance of revitalizing US-India ties to counter China, stating: “Unlike Communist China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world. Partnership between the US and India to counter China should be a no-brainer. It would serve America’s interests to help India stand up to China.”
In an opinion piece co-authored with Bill Drexel of the Hudson Institute, Haley reflected on historical ties, recalling President Ronald Reagan’s state dinner for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in July 1982. At the time, Reagan toasted the friendship between the “two proud, free peoples,” noting: “Although our countries may travel separate paths from time to time, our destination remains the same.”
Haley said the US-India relationship is at a “troubling inflection point” and warned that “few objectives are more critical than getting US-India relations back on track” to fulfill the Trump administration’s foreign policy goals, including outcompeting China and achieving peace through strength.
She added: “Trump is right to target India’s massive Russian oil purchases, which are helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine. India has also traditionally been among the most protectionist economies in the world, with an average tariff rate more than five times the US average in 2023. But India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is—not an adversary like China.” (ANI)
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