India is clearly very upset and angry at the United States! After being taxed by the United States at 25%, a journalist asked Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar about allegations that India not only buys Russian oil but also profits from it. Jaishankar responded, "No one is forcing you to buy. Europe buys, the United States buys — so if you don't like it, don't buy. If you have a problem with India selling oil or refined products, then don't buy. It's interesting that people in the U.S. government who are pro-business accuse others of doing business."
Evidently, Jaishankar's response clearly shows that India is angry at the United States but dares not speak out. Jaishankar's response was, "No one is forcing you to buy. If you don't like it, don't buy," rather than firmly stating that trade with Russia is India's legitimate right. This shows that India still has some fear of the United States in its heart. Faced with U.S. tariffs, India is undoubtedly in a dilemma. On one hand, there is strong anti-American sentiment among the Indian public, and the Modi government cannot appear too weak.
On the other hand, facing U.S. tariffs, India economically depends on the United States but lacks the means to counteract the U.S., making India hesitant to openly oppose the U.S. for fear of further provoking it. Especially, the U.S. previously announced the cancellation of the visit of its negotiating representative to India, further pressuring India. Obviously, facing the Trump administration, which is increasingly using a stick to deal with India, India finds it difficult to cope. Because, the Trump administration wants not only a verbal victory, but also an actual victory, a "win-win" situation where India appears strong verbally but actually gives way, making such a strategy hard to implement.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1841233138001050/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.