Once enacted, the act would impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia, targeting Russian officials, banks, financial institutions and other entities.

The US Senate has passed legislation that would impose new sanctions on Russia, sending it to the House of Representatives.

By a vote of 86-11, the upper chamber passed H.R. 5334, the legislative vehicle for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.

The measure cleared the Senate on Friday with the support of more than the 60 votes required for passage.

Eleven senators voted against the bill: Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester, Maggie Hassan, Mazie Hirono, Ed Markey, Jon Ossoff, Alex Padilla, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch and Ron Wyden, along with Republican Rand Paul.

The three senators who did not vote are Republicans Marsha Blackburn, Cynthia Lummis and Mitch McConnell.

The measure was a key legislative priority of Senator Lindsey Graham, who died after a brief illness last month.

Several senators met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month during his visit to the US for Graham’s funeral.

If enacted, the act would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting the war in Ukraine.

The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons and Russian banks and financial institutions.

The legislation allows the president to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. (China and India will be targets)

It also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.

“This landmark legislation is a powerful demonstration of America’s global leadership. I extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the US Senate for their leadership, their principled bipartisan support, and their enduring solidarity with Ukraine. Together, we are bringing a lasting peace closer,” he said on the US social media company X.

EU toadies sanction too

EU approves new sanctions on Russia in response to massive strikes on Ukraine

Background:

• On 23 July, the Council of the European Union formally adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia, describing it as a measure that “deals a powerful blow to Russia’s energy sector, financial services and cryptocurrencies.”
• The package was approved after weeks of delays caused by objections from several member states for different reasons, with Greece being the last country to lift its objections.
• Following its adoption, it emerged that the EU is reviewing its broader approach to sanctions against Russia.

First an oped from Maritime Executive;

The sanctions on Russia have transformed crude oil and refined product flows. Before the war, the vast majority of Russian seaborne crude went directly to European Union ports. Today, that flow has essentially dropped to zero, rerouting heavily toward Asia. China and India, who are not sanctioning Russia, now consume more than 80% of Russia's seaborne crude oil exports. This has led to a massive boost in long-haul Suezmax and Aframax employment. One would typically use VLCCs for these long-haul trips to Asia, but Russia does not have access to VLCC-capable export terminals. This has transformed Russia’s oil flows from using regional pipelines and short-haul voyages to long-haul trips on medium-sized, suboptimal tonnage.

The introduction and enforcement of price caps and trade bans has reshaped fleet ownership, vessel values, and maritime safety standards globally. The sanctions against Russia have also fractured the global oil tanker industry, splitting the maritime shipping world into two distinct, parallel markets: the regulated “mainstream” market and a booming, opaque “shadow” market.

Surviving The Sanctions

Despite the sanctions, Russian crude oil exports have largely been maintained. As a matter of fact, they have been rising in 2026 to date.

Russian crude oil exports are rising! Read the rest at the above link.

Finally;

Turkish cargo ship hit in suspected Ukrainian attack near Russian port (VIDEOS)

The captain said the Nadezhda, which reportedly carried fruit and vegetables, was struck by Kiev’s drones

A Turkish-operated cargo ship was hit in an apparent Ukrainian drone attack off the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk late on Monday.

The Nadezhda had a crew of 22, including 13 Turkish citizens, according to the DGM. Turkish media reported that the vessel was operated by Samsun-based Kalyoncu Shipping and had been carrying fruit and vegetables from Türkiye to Russia.

Lavrov had mentioned this was already happening and I’d covered it in this previous post

Russia hopes Türkiye will send a strong signal to Ukraine following attacks on Turkish vessels in the Black Sea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

So a delay on Venezuela as we can all enlighten ourselves on this topic. Unless some of you are/were already aware of this?

Primakov Doctrine and Russia’s Multipolar World

Primakov Doctrine

The Primakov doctrine, named after Russia’s former Foreign and Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, sets the tone for Russia’s grand strategic objectives. The doctrine rejects several tropes and terms associated with Russian strategic thought, i.e., Hybrid Warfare and Gerasimov Doctrine. It rejects the notion of uni-polarity and implies that Russia should strive for a multipolar world managed by multiple powers to counterbalance the sole hegemony of the United States (US) and its so-called uni-polarity. It elucidates that, Russia, a vestige of the Soviet Union’s colossal, should enhance its influence in the post-Soviet space and resist the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) expansion. The Primakov doctrine calls for blending Russia’s hard and soft power to achieve its grand strategic objectives.

The Primakov doctrine has served as a foundational document for Russia’s foreign and defence policy for two decades. On the other hand, the Gerasimov Doctrine is purely a military effort to develop an operational concept for Russia’s future battlegrounds.

Russia’s former Foreign and Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov envisaged a concept for developing deep relations with China and India to counterbalance the Western influence, especially in the South Asia, Middle-East, and East Asia. He stressed Russia to enhance its presence in the former Soviet republics and promoting multilateralism.

During his term as the Foreign Minister of Russia from January 1996 till September 1998, he remained very active and strongly portrayed Russia’s vision in the post-Soviet world. He effectively opposed NATO’s expansion and convinced the Western policymakers to honour their promises and assurances. Yevgeny Primakov was instrumental in signing the Founding Act on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security on May 27, 1997, between Russia and NATO. The Founding Act had 4 main sections, and it was noted that “Other areas can be added by mutual agreement.”

Yevgeny Primakov was the main architect of the letter that was jointly written by Russia and China to the United Nations Secretary General to proclaim multipolarity.

Russia’s Multi-Polar World

The post-Soviet Russia is striving hard to bring multilateralism in to the world affairs. It is also struggling to turn the international system as multipolar. There is no doubt that the Primakov Doctrine was the very first conceptual instrument put forward by the Russian policymakers to offset the international structure. Yevgeny Primakov was well aware of the so-called US Uni-Polar Moment and the international fallout of such narratives. It is to be remembered here that Charles Krauthammer was among the Neo-Cons who celebrated the demise of the Soviet Union and trumpeted the victory of the US.

Conclusions

The Primakov Doctrine continues to serve as the foundational document to understand Russia’s contemporary foreign policy and its multilateral approach towards International Relations. Undoubtedly, Russia is a great power, and it has global concerns which require eloquent articulation of its foreign conduct. In hindsight, it is a fact that Russia and its policymakers have never opted for a unipolar world order.

Like all great powers, the Russian foreign policy is in tandem with its grand strategy. The Russian foreign policy is an instrument to achieve its grand strategic objectives, especially in the areas of ‘core national interests’ including Georgia, Ukraine, Arctic, Baltic States, and Eastern Europe. Having a multifaceted approach, the Russian foreign policy is centred on securing its strategic backyard and soft belly.

TASS from 2014

In January 1996 – September 1998 Primakov was Russia’s foreign minister, and in September 1998 – May 1999 led Russia’s Cabinet of Ministers.

“I believe that in the near future historians will coin a special term to describe Primakov’s role in politics. They may call it the Primakov Doctrine,” Lavrov said. “The moment he took over the Russian Foreign Ministry heralded a dramatic turn of Russia’s foreign policy. Russia left the path our Western partners had tried to make it follow after the breakup of the Soviet Union and embarked on a track of its own,” Lavrov said.

He recalled that Primakov was the first to have come out with an idea of enhancing cooperation in the trilateral format of Russia, India and China (RIC), which triggered the emergence of the BRICS group of nations. “The line of countries eager to join that structure as full-fledged members or as dialogue partners keeps getting longer,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov confirmed that over the years Primakov was Russia’s foreign minister the high-rise building in Smolenskaya Square underwent some fundamental changes. However, “inside the foreign minister’s room he avoided changing anything and his successor, Igor Ivanov, followed suit.”

Link

But like most great ideas, Primakov’s was simple. First, Russia must end its subservient foreign policy guided by the US. Secondly, he emphasised the necessity of renewing old ties with India and fostering the newly discovered friendship with China.

Primakov argued that a Russia-India-China (RIC) troika in a multipolar world would allow some protection for free minded nations not allied to the West. He said the economic crisis in Russia had presented a rare convergence of conditions in the RIC.

“India, being different in many respects, enjoys a similar wealth of historical experience, often incomprehensible to westerners. The last couple of centuries have been a time of degradation and humiliation for these two great nations. In the eyes of the Chinese and the Indians, this was inextricably linked to the European/western expansion: colonialism and imperial dominance, including the imposition of a normative and economic servitude that still keeps then trapped in the semi-periphery even after the era colonialism.”

Russia found itself in a similar state. It was a time when the former planned economies were “ruthlessly looted by the victorious democracies under the guise of economic reforms or liberalisation. Russian social thinkers and historians noted similarities to the historic period of the destruction and pillage of China and India in the 19th and early 20th centuries”, writes Prof Li Xing writes in The BRICS and Beyond.

In 1998, Primakov visited India and pushed the proposal for creating the RIC strategic triangle. The new Russian leadership under Vladimir Putin reversed the Boris Yeltsin era drift in Russia-India ties, signed a major strategic partnership treaty and established the institution of annual summit meetings. Fourteen years after Russia had abandoned its old ally, Indians heard friendly voices emanating from Moscow. “India is number one,” Putin said, referring to India’s primacy in the subcontinent.

To be sure, the troika took a long time to reach a basic agreement. A key reason for RIC not getting early traction is the India-China border dispute, which has spun off an Asian version of the arms race between the two giants.

Secondly, in any trilateral partnership, the weakest member – in this case India – acquires prestige and power out of proportion to its actual strength. Beijing – which has traditionally viewed India as weak, divided, slavishly pro-West and above all as a potential strategic rival – clearly did not want to help India achieve that status.

It wasn’t until 2012 – coinciding with India successfully testing long-range ballistic missiles capable of reaching China’s eastern seaboard – that RIC talks took off. Finally, the February 2015 meeting in Beijing imparted a fresh momentum, with China endorsing Russia’s move to include India in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Wider footprint

Large as its scope is, Primakov went beyond RIC. “The Primakov doctrine is designed primarily to dilute America’s strength and influence while increasing Russia’s influence and position in the Middle East and Eurasia,” writes policy analyst Ariel Cohen of the US-based Heritage Foundation in a report titled ‘The Primakov Doctrine: Russia’s Zero-Sum Game with the US’.

“Primakov has shown himself to be a master at exploiting anti-American sentiments of the Iranian Shiite establishment, the Arab nationalists, and even the French foreign policy elite. On visits to Japan and Latin American, Primakov promised Russia’s support for their efforts to secure permanent seats on UN Security Council.”

Lastly – Think BRICS substack

Tomorrow, if time permits, we’ll talk Venezuela

When asked if peace was closer or further away after the meeting, Ushakov replied, “Not further, that’s for sure,” adding that “there’s still a lot of work to be done, both in Washington and in Moscow,” the Associated Press reported.

Nothing has changed.

I've serious doubts these meetings are anything other than appearance making for all parties- And why is Jared Kushner there at all? Nepotism reigns supreme in the Trump admin as it did in the Biden administration. Not a shocker, really.

Being brutally honest here, I still see no reason to believe the US really wants peace with Russia or truly wants to end the conflict. They’d have it done it already! It would be a simple as cutting off weapons, intelligence and other supports.

As for the EU..

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Wednesday revealed details of its plan to use billions of euros in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s needs over the next two years, but Belgium rejected the scheme and insisted that it poses major financial and legal risks.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU would cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s financial and military needs for 2026 and 2027, which the International Monetary Fund puts at 137 billion euros ($160 billion), by providing 90 billion euros ($105 billion).

She said that other international partners would be called on to cover the remaining third.

Von der Leyen said that using the frozen assets would strengthen the Ukrainian position at peace negotiations with Russia and the U.S. but it would also send a message to Moscow that “the prolongation of the war on their side comes with a high cost for them.” She said that she had informed the Trump administration about the proposal.(Of course, she did!)

EU leaders have committed to fund Ukraine over the next two years, whatever the method. The EU has already poured in over 170 billion euros ($197 billion) since the war started in 2022.

EUInsanity

Von der Leyen said that if the loan plan didn’t pass muster, the bloc could borrow the money on international markets in a scheme underpinned by its long-term budget. The problem here, though, is that it would require the approval of all 27 member countries, and Hungary has consistently blocked aid to Ukraine.

The biggest pot of ready funds available is through frozen Russian assets. Most of the money is held in Belgium – around 194 billion euros as of June – and outside the EU in Japan, with around $50 billion, and the U.S., U.K. and Canada with lesser amounts. A total of 210 billion euros worth ($245 billion) are held in Europe.

Canada holding a smaller amount of these stolen funds has been mentioned here previously

To address Belgian concerns, the commission’s complex proposal includes safeguards to protect EU nations from “possible retaliation from Russia,” a prohibition of any release of the frozen assets, and a way to borrow money as the EU to “underpin a loan to Ukraine.”

But Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said that his country considers “the option of the reparations loan the worst of all, as it is risky. It has never been done before.” Russia has described the scheme as “theft.”

Haltingly reading prepared remarks to reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Prévot urged the EU to borrow the money for Ukraine on international markets. “It is a well-known, a robust and a well-established option with predictable parameters,” he said.

“The reparation loans scheme entails consequential economic, financial and legal risks,” he said, adding that the commission’s proposals do not address Belgium’s concerns. “It is not acceptable to use the money and leave us alone facing the risks.”

Belgium fears that the Brussels-based financial clearing house holding the frozen assets, Euroclear, could take legal action if Russia challenges any use of the funds or if the move harms its image and business interests.

Meanwhile Russia continues on making trade deals..

Lots of deal making from what I’ve read-

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s highly anticipated visit to India starts tomorrow, December 4. The Russian President is coming to India on a two-day state visit, his first since the war in Ukraine.

Business Standard

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, the Russian Cabinet on Tuesday cleared the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India to deepen bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear energy.

During Putin’s visit, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Russian counterpart Andrei Belousov will also co-chair the 22nd India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation ministerial meeting in Delhi on Thursday.

The two leaders will review the entire range of the multifaceted defence relations, including military and military technical cooperation. They will also exchange views on contemporary regional and global issues of mutual interest.

As for the MoU on civil nuclear cooperation, Russia’s Rosatom Nuclear Corporation, which is building several reactors at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu, has been authorised to sign the MoU with Indian authorities on behalf of the Russian government, according to Russian news agency Interfax.

Interacting with the media on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Rosatom chief executive officer (CEO) Alexei Ligachev will be carrying a whole portfolio of proposals, including for cooperation in building small modular reactors, to be tabled at the summit talks in New Delhi.

Russian lender Sber launches -denominated letter of credit for Indian suppliers

Sber, the Russia biggest lender, has launched a rupee-denominated letter of credit with deferred payment for purchases in India, a new financial product for importers. The solution is unique in that Sber will settle payments with Indian suppliers in rupees immediately upon submission of supporting documents for the delivery of goods to the bank, while providing the Russian buyer with the option to reimburse the payment later when the deferral period ends, the bank said on Wednesday.

More reading if you like.

Interesting oped. Fyodor Lukyanov: The Moscow–Delhi axis is becoming a template for a post-Western world

Last few paragraphs

India is the most consistent. Its own development remains at the heart of its agenda. Its growing political weight is not so much the result of its increasing ambitions, as it is due to changes in the world. This is also due to the growing desire of some leading powers to secure India’s support in their relations with other leading powers.

Russia and India are very different from each other; in some respects, they are even opposites. However, two important circumstances should be noted.

Firstly, their experience of close, friendly, and mutually beneficial cooperation sets a benchmark for the international order, where the emphasis is on highlighting rather than erasing civilizational contrasts. The Russia-India relationship is, quite frankly, the envy of many. It shows how to maintain stability amid turbulent change.

Secondly, neither Russia nor India is seeking global domination. However, both are powers without which nothing is possible, each due to their own set of parameters. They cannot be ignored. In a sense, it is now more advantageous to be a country like this than a superpower. There is less burden and more flexibility. If efforts are coordinated, there will be no obstacles for us, either at sea or on land.

There is so much going on, I’m unsure where to begin?

*Epstein Estate Documents- You wanna see them– Check out this link

Included amongst those files is the Trump birthday doodle to Epstein- As well as Jeffrey Epstein’s Will.

I’ve previewed some of it, but, not much.

*Eurointergration.com

NATO is not treating an incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory on the night of 9-10 September as an attack on a member state of the Alliance.

As reported by Polish media outlet Onet, according to a NATO source cited by Reuters, initial data indicates that the incident in Poland was a deliberate incursion by Russian drones.

Nevertheless, the source reportedly added that NATO does not consider the incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory an attack.

There seems to be some questions about where the drones came from- Reports of them being unarmed. Reports of them being another type of drone not commonly used by Russia

*Trump’s Bold Move to Pressure Putin

U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the EU to impose tariffs of up to 100% on China and India over their imports of Russian oil in an attempt to force Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to sit down for genuine peace talks for Ukraine.

President Trump told EU diplomats when he dialed into a meeting in Washington on Tuesday that the U.S. is willing to impose massive tariffs on India and China, but only if the EU agrees to do the same, the Financial Times reported, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.

“We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” a U.S. official told FT.

*Kremlin has no comment

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday refused to comment on Poland’s accusations of a drone attack by Russia.

Speaking at a press briefing in Moscow, Peskov said the issue is within the purview of the Defense Ministry, and should any official commentary on the incident be issued, it would originate from the military service.

“We would not like to comment on this in any way. This is not our area of expertise. This is the prerogative of the Defense Ministry,” he said.

Asked if the Polish leadership requested any contacts following the incident, Peskov said no such requests had been received by the Kremlin.

“The EU and NATO leaders accuse Russia of provocation on a daily basis. Most of the time, without even caring to present at least some kind of argument,” he said.

The numbers of drones allegedly shot down go from the low of 3 to a high of 19

*Colour Revolution- Nepal

Think of it as killing 2 birds with one stone

FBI raids Trump ex-NSA John Bolton days after outburst on India tariff

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided the home of John Bolton, a former White House national security adviser and former US ambassador to the United Nations, early on Friday as part of a high-profile national security probe.

The action comes days after Bolton criticised President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on India for its purchases of Russian oil, calling it an “unforced error” that may have pushed New Delhi further into the Beijing-Moscow axis. Bolton had also commented on Trump’s claim of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, attributing it to his tendency to “take credit for everything”.

India and China hail warming ties amid Trump-induced geopolitical shake-up

India’s prime minister and China’s foreign minister have hailed “steady” progress in their countries’ fractious relationship, agreeing to resume trade and other ties, as well as work towards resolving the long-running Himalayan border dispute, amid a global geopolitical shake-up instigated by Donald Trump’s tariff regime.

India and China have had their disagreements/disputes, but, Trump is lending a hand to mending those fences

Trump, however, said he had limited knowledge of the FBI searching the home of his former aide but called him a “lowlife”. “I’m not a fan of John Bolton,” he told reporters.

Trump is claiming he had limited knowledge? But he still very clearly had knowledge of the raid, however “limited” is being defined?

A Trump administration official confirmed that the raid was ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, who later seemed to confirm the operation with a post on X, saying, “No one is above the law… @FBI agents on mission”.

Reports suggested the FBI agents busted into Bolton’s house in Bethesda, Maryland, at 7 am. The probe centres around Bolton’s handling of classified information, particularly in relation to his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where it Happened”, which Trump had attempted to block due to allegations of revealing national secrets and breaching a non-disclosure agreement signed during his tenure. Despite Trump’s efforts, the book was published. The US Justice Department had opened an inquiry into the book in September 2020.

The former Trump adviser has been regularly appearing on news channels criticising the President’s national security and foreign policy.

In an interview, Bolton had referred to the possible visit by Putin to India later this year and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming China visit, a first since 2018. “Obviously both Moscow and Beijing are going to try to bring India closer to them. I mean, this could have negative consequences (for the US), because it wasn’t well thought through,” Bolton had said.

Trump has “issues” with Bolton via archive.ph

People close to Trump have privately noted, however, that the president was bothered by Bolton’s recent deprecation of his attempts at peacemaking. And both Trump and some of his top appointees have talked openly about using the criminal justice system against his perceived enemies.

The president earlier this year revoked Bolton’s security clearances and canceled his government security detail.

Four days later, in a Sunday night Truth Social post, Trump again pointed a finger at Bolton, saying he was among the “stupid people” who were making it “much harder” for Trump to end the war by criticizing his approach to Putin

Bolton loves war, that much is true however Bolton can express a critical opinion. Trump can disagree but the FBI moving in on his home looks like more than disagreement.

Any thoughts?

Whitehouse.gov

Excerpt below, read entirely at the link above-

ADDRESSING A NATIONAL EMERGENCY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order imposing tariffs on India in response to its continued purchase of Russian Federation oil, and establishing a process for the potential imposition of similar tariffs on other countries that directly or indirectly import oil from the Russian Federation.

• The President found that India is currently importing Russian Federation oil. Accordingly, to address the national emergency stemming from the Government of the Russian Federation’s actions taken against Ukraine, he is imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, effective August 27, due to India’s direct or indirect importation of Russian Federation oil.
  • This tariff is in addition to any other duties, fees, taxes, exactions, and charges applicable to such imports, unless subject to existing or future actions under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
  • This tariff is also in addition to any tariff applicable under Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, as amended, but the additional 25% tariff imposed by this order shall not apply to articles set forth in Annex II to Executive Order 14257.
• The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and other senior officials, will determine whether other countries directly or indirectly import Russian Federation oil and recommend further actions to the President as needed.

COUNTERING THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION’S THREAT TO U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN POLICY: The Russian Federation’s actions in Ukraine pose an ongoing threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy, necessitating stronger measures to address the national emergency.

• India’s importation of Russian Federation oil undermines U.S. efforts to counter Russia’s harmful activities.
• India’s subsequent reselling of this oil on the open market, often at significant profit, further enables the Russian Federation’s economy to fund its aggression.
• By imposing a 25% tariff, President Trump aims to deter countries from supporting the Russian Federation’s economy through oil imports and impose serious economic consequences on the Russian Federation for its ongoing aggressions.

PUTTING AMERICA FIRST: President Trump has been consistent that he will not tolerate Russian Federation aggression.

• President Trump has been transparent that the Russian Federation would not be facing these actions if they were to “get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
• President Trump has also been upfront that India would face tariffs for buying Russian Federation oil: “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits …. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
• President Trump remains committed to pursuing peace, and these actions aim to pressure the Russian Federation toward a resolution that ends the conflict and saves lives.

So, a peacemaker he is not. Not ever.

Miami Herald

India has hit back at the United States in defense of its oil purchases from Russia after President Donald Trump issued a new threat of tariffs tied to the trade. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of office hours.

Why It Matters

The increasing friction between India and the United States is in part an indication of the failure to reach a trade deal between the Trump administration and the world’s most populous country and fastest growing top economy.

Increasingly friendly U.S. relations with Indian rival Pakistan have been another irritant in the relationship. But it also highlights a souring in a relationship that is key for global security, with India seen as a potential bulwark against China for the United States while pursuing a foreign policy that had traditionally been strongly independent.

What To Know

Trump issued a new threat of tariffs on India on Monday, linking it to India’s purchases of Russian oil. It came at a time when Trump was seeking to increase pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine, which has only increased in intensity despite the president’s pledge to end it as soon as he took office.

India’s External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that its purchases of oil from Russia were a necessity compelled by the state of the global market. It challenged criticism over the oil deals from both the United States and European Union. “It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the statement from the ministry spokesperson said. “Where the United States is concerned, it continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.”

Ukraine Invasion

New Delhi said Washington had encouraged it to buy Russian oil after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to stabilize the global energy market. It also said the EU’s trade with Russia had been significantly bigger than India’s. Russia has continued to make billions from energy exports despite Western sanctions to try to apply pressure over the Ukraine war. “Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy, but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment,” it said.

“The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.” In the absence of a trade deal with the United States, India has meanwhile been pursuing other agreements and strengthening its ties with China.

What People Are Saying

U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social:

“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson: “India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion."

What Happens Next

India is unlikely to be swayed by U.S. pressure and in the absence of a trade deal is likely to continue to take an independent line. The worsening of the relationship between the United States and India could be to the benefit of U.S. rivals Russia and China as they also seek to cement India in their camp.

Would the US target India and Russia alongside their UK ally with a potential false flag? A “kill two birds with one stone” kind of operation?

Over the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.

I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site.

We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace.

This feels too much like a contrived ”feather in the cap” situation for the Trump administration.