Don't burn ties with India: Nikki Haley on Trump's tariff threat over Russian oil

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 5, 2025 21:59 IST

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has delivered a sharp rebuke of President Donald Trump’s proposal to impose high tariffs on Indian exports, warning that the move could strain the US-India relationship at a crucial time. She warned Trump not to give a pass to "adversary" China and "burn" relations with an ally like India.

The Republican leader also called out the Trump administration's duplicity, highlighting a soft-handling of trade with China in which the US paused the tariffs for 90 days.

In a post on social media platform 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," she added.

Haley, who has long supported stronger ties between the US and India, has often emphasised the need to counter China’s global influence by building closer partnerships with democratic nations in the Indo-Pacific — particularly India.

Her comments followed Trump's recent interview with CNBC, where he announced plans to drastically raise tariffs, already at 25 per cent effective from August 1, on Indian goods within 24 hours. He linked the proposed move to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, stating that New Delhi was "fuelling the war machine".

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