Ex-Envoy Sarna: India Cannot Surrender Decision-Making to US Pressure

Former Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Navtej Sarna says India must safeguard its independent decision-making as Trump administration escalates pressure over Russian oil imports and imposes 50% tariffs.

New Delhi, August 30 – Former Indian Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, has delivered a sharp and thoughtful response to the Trump administration’s growing pressure on New Delhi, insisting that India must remain firm in protecting its strategic autonomy despite the costs.

Speaking to ANI, Sarna described recent remarks from White House trade advisor Peter Navarro as an attempt to corner India on multiple fronts – not just over Russian oil but also in trade and broader geopolitical alignments.

“China is a bigger buyer, and Europe buys gas. I think this is a way of attempting to influence India’s policies on a broader scale, rather than just focusing on Russia, oil, or trade, for instance. So, I think this is a moment when India has to maintain its strategic autonomy, its own decision-making space. For that, we may have to suffer some short-term losses. We might find things difficult in exports, but I think we will come out of it,” Sarna said.

Strains in India–U.S. Relations

Sarna acknowledged that India–U.S. ties are facing turbulence, particularly after Washington imposed a 50% tariff on Indian goods, including a 25% levy targeting imports linked to Russian oil.

“The relationship is facing a lot of challenges at the moment. So, we have to ride it out. We have to roll with it at the moment. We have to make sure that India’s basic interests are taken care of, whether it is in energy, agriculture and so on. We have to not react with a knee-jerk reaction to every comment coming out of Washington,” he emphasized.

The comments followed Navarro’s harsh criticism of India’s purchase of Russian oil. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Navarro alleged that New Delhi was indirectly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine and went so far as to lecture India to “act like a democracy.”

“The Indians are so arrogant about this. They say, oh, it’s our sovereignty. We can buy oil from anyone we want. India, you’re the biggest democracy in the world. Act like one. Side with the democracies,” Navarro said.

India Pushes Back Against “Unjustified” U.S. Tariffs

India’s Foreign Ministry has rejected Washington’s punitive tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable”, pointing out that the U.S. and European Union themselves continue to import Russian goods. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar even reminded Washington that it had previously encouraged India to purchase Russian oil to stabilize global markets after the 2022 Ukraine war disrupted supply chains.

President Donald Trump, however, has doubled down, directly linking India’s Russian oil purchases to his decision to impose tariffs.

“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine,” Trump claimed.

The China Factor

Navarro also accused India of drifting closer to China despite decades of hostility between the two Asian giants.

“You’re getting in bed with the authoritarians. China, you’ve been at war with them for decades. They invaded Aksai Chin and your territory. These are not your friends,” Navarro warned.

Interestingly, Beijing responded with a subtle counter. Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, remarked: “Silence or compromise only emboldens the bully,” while expressing Beijing’s readiness to work with India to strengthen the multilateral trading system under the WTO.

Global Shifts After Ukraine War

Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe has largely stopped buying Russian oil, forcing Moscow to turn toward Asian buyers. Today, China, India, and Turkey stand as major customers of Russian crude, providing Moscow with crucial revenue despite Western sanctions.

Against this backdrop, Sarna’s call for calm, resilience, and independent policymaking highlights New Delhi’s delicate balancing act—protecting its national interests while resisting external pressures.

“We might face short-term pain, but India will emerge stronger if we safeguard our decision-making space,” Sarna concluded.