‘My beloved leaders…’: American Singer Mary Millben's appeal amid tariff row; urges US and India to 'negotiate as real friends'

Amid escalating tensions between the United States and India over proposed tariff hikes, American singer Mary Millben issued a heartfelt message for both countries. Millben took to X, “I’ll say again: America needs India, and India needs America.

Any direction in policy that strains our strategic alliance is the wrong direction,” she wrote.Her remarks came even as US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, effective August 7, 2025, and hinted at a further increase.Referring to the recent exchanges between the two countries, she added, “@POTUS and @NarendraModi, my beloved leaders, this exchange of ‘muscular verbiage’ on tariffs is troubling us all.

Furthermore, countless small businesses in the US and India are hurting in this ‘tariff tug of war.’ I speak to them daily.”

Urging both leaders to seek resolution, Millben said, “Remember, we need each other. Negotiate as real friends. Find common ground. Your legacies and the well-being of our countries depend on this moment.”Her appeal came after Trump, in an interview to CNBC, called India “not a good” trading partner.

“India has not been a good trading partner, because they do a lot of business with us, but we don't do business with them. So we settled on 25 percent but I think I'm going to raise that very substantially over the next 24 hours, because they're buying Russian oil,” Trump said.Officials from the Trump administration called India's crude oil imports from Russia an “irritant” in trade negotiations and accusing the country of “financing” the war in Ukraine through its purchases.Responding to the developments, India’s ministry of external affairs issued a statement rejecting the allegations. “In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the MEA said.