नवीनतम
India, US will solve tariffs soon: Bessent
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: In a pointed rebuke amid escalating global tensions, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched a sharp verbal offensive against India, China, and Russia, branding them “bad actors” for allegedly enabling Moscow’s war in Ukraine. His remarks, made in an interview with Fox News on Monday, further strain already fragile ties, especially with New Delhi, as both countries grapple with growing disagreements over energy trade and tariffs.
Bessent also dismissed the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin, China, calling it “largely performative” and downplaying its geopolitical significance despite high-profile optics involving Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “This is a longstanding meeting… I think it’s largely performative,” Bessent said. “India is the most populous democracy in the world. Their values are much closer to ours — and to China’s — than to Russia’s.”
The comments come as New Delhi continues to pursue a policy of strategic autonomy - including the import and refining of Russian crude oil, a move Washington claims is indirectly financing Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“The Indians have not been great actors in terms of buying Russian oil and then reselling it, financing the Russian war effort,” Bessent said bluntly.
While Bessent acknowledged India’s vital role as a democratic partner, he also signalled frustration over the lack of progress in bilateral trade negotiations. The Trump administration’s controversial 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports were, he noted, partially a response to India’s “lack of movement on key issues.”
India has defended its oil purchases as a matter of national interest and market strategy, and has described the US tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable.”
The recent trilateral display of camaraderie between Modi, Putin, and Xi at the SCO summit has alarmed U.S. policymakers. Bessent’s rhetoric reflects the growing urgency in Washington to counter what it sees as a dangerous convergence of interests between the three powers - particularly when it comes to Russia’s military aggression.
Bessent confirmed that the U.S. is now reviewing its Russia policy, especially in light of Moscow’s intensified bombing campaign in Ukraine.
“President Trump has all options on the table,” he stated. “Putin has gone in the opposite direction of peace. We’re examining responses very closely this week.”
Despite the rising tensions, Bessent struck a cautiously optimistic note on the future of U.S.-India ties, suggesting that common values and long-term interests would ultimately prevail.
“At the end of the day, we’ll get this solved,” he said. “The two great countries will get this solved.”
As the geopolitical landscape continues to shift, all eyes remain on Washington and New Delhi to see whether diplomacy can override the growing discord.
