"US officials trying to put all kinds of pressure but we will not be dictated by anyone": Former Diplomat Vikas Swarup

Swarup, who also served as the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs during his stint, was commenting on the remarks made by White House trade advisor Peter Navarro.

Speaking to ANI, Vikas Swarup said, "The current relationship is not in good shape. We all thought that, given the personal relationship that PM Modi has developed with President Trump and the fact that President Trump really respects PM Modi, we thought that an India-US Trade Deal would come quite early. But unfortunately, that has not happened."

"US officials are trying to put all kinds of pressure on India. But India is a very proud nation, India is a country which has always followed the principle of strategic autonomy. We will not be dictated by anyone," he added.

At the same time, Swarup expressed hope for progress, saying, "I think the time is still there for the two sides to find a mutually acceptable solution." He, however, underlined that "certainly, these current comments coming from the Trump administration are not helping the cause".

The comments by Navarro come in the backdrop of these strained relations. He has taken a strident position while justifying US President Donald Trump's decision to levy a 50 per cent tariff on imports from India, accusing the country of profiting from Russian oil in scalding remarks.

Considered the key driver behind the 50 per cent tariffs, he claimed that the measure was aimed at cutting off the financial support India allegedly provides to Moscow amid the Ukraine conflict.

The White House Trade advisor claimed that the tariffs were aimed at cutting off the Financial lifeline given by India to Putin's war in Ukraine.

In the post on X, he said, "President Trump's 50% tariffs on Indian imports are now in effect. This isn't just about India's unfair trade--it's about cutting off the financial lifeline India has extended to Putin's war machine."

"Here's how the India-Russia oil mathematics works: American consumers buy Indian goods while India keeps out U.S. exports through high tariffs and non-tariff barriers. India uses our dollars to buy discounted Russian crude. Indian refiners, with their silent Russian partners, refine and flip the black-market oil for big profits on the international market - while Russia pockets hard currency to fund its war on Ukraine," he further said.

Navarro also accused India of imposing high tariffs on the US and filling Putin's war chest instead.

The comments by Navarro appear lopsided, as Russian President Vladimir Putin noted during Alaska's press conference with Trump on August 16 that bilateral trade between the two nations has increased by 20 per cent since Trump's reinstatement as President. (ANI)