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“Dont burn” India ties: Nikki Haley cautions Trump
She warned that punitive tariffs could damage a crucial strategic relationship.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 05, Aug 2025
- 11:57 EDT
- 24
Nikki Haley / Wikipedia
Republican leader Nikki Haley cautioned President Donald Trump against escalating trade tensions with India on Aug. 5
The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations warned that steep penalties against India for buying Russian oil and no penalties for China, which is the largest buyer of Russian crude, could damage a crucial strategic relationship.
Also Read: India hits back at Trump's threat over Russian oil purchases
In a pointed post on X, Haley wrote, “India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India.”
India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) August 5, 2025
Her remarks come in response to Trump’s recent threat to “very substantially” raise tariffs on Indian goods within 24 hours, citing India’s continued imports of Russian crude. Speaking to CNBC, Trump claimed the U.S. does “little business with India” while India does “a lot of business with us.”
Trump’s criticism, including claims made on his platform Truth Social, accused India of buying “massive amounts of Russian oil” and reselling it on the open market for profit, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Haley, who has consistently taken a hawkish stance on China and advocated for closer U.S.-India ties, positioned Trump’s remarks as counterproductive at a time when Washington needs New Delhi’s partnership in the Indo-Pacific.
In a firm response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called Trump’s accusations “unreasonable” and “unjustified.” The ministry defended India’s energy decisions as “a strategic necessity,” made after traditional Western suppliers diverted oil shipments to Europe following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.
“The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets’ stability,” the MEA said.
New Delhi also slammed the double standards by U.S. and the European Union who continue to significantly trade with Russia—including in sectors such as nuclear materials, palladium for electric vehicles, fertilisers, machinery, and chemicals—while targeting India over its oil imports.
India reaffirmed it would take “all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security” amid what it sees as selective outrage from its Western counterparts.
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