‘India's Rise Doesn't Threaten Free World, Unlike China’: Nikki Haley To Trump Amid 50% Tariffs

Last Updated:August 21, 2025, 07:23 IST

Nikki Haley urged Donald Trump to treat India as "prized free and democratic partner" and not like an adversary like China.

Nikki Haley criticises Trump's tariffs on India (Reuters Image)

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has taken a critical view of Donald Trump’s stance on India, stating that New Delhi must be treated like a “prized free and democratic partner" and not like an “adversary" like Beijing.

She referred to the years of efforts put in to draw India closer to the United States and said that “scuttling" this momentum would be a “strategic disaster".

In an opinion piece published in Newsweek, Haley also criticised Trump for not imposing additional tariffs on China for its imports of Russian oil and putting sanctions on India instead for doing the same, arguing that New Delhi’s rise does not threaten the free world, “unlike Communist-controlled China".

“India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is – not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow’s largest customers. If that disparity does not demand a closer look at U.S.-India relations, the realities of hard power should. Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster," Nikki Haley said in her opinion piece on Newsweek, ANI reported.

“Unlike Communist-controlled China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world. Partnership between the U.S. and India to counter China should be a no-brainer," she added.

More to follow…

Ashesh Mallick

Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes...Read More

Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes...

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First Published:

August 21, 2025, 07:23 IST

News world ‘India's Rise Doesn't Threaten Free World, Unlike China’: Nikki Haley To Trump Amid 50% Tariffs

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