India, Russia Strengthen Trade Ties Despite U.S. Tariff Pressure
India and Russia have agreed to deepen their trade relationship, reaffirming long-standing ties during talks in Moscow between Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The meeting highlighted energy cooperation, with Lavrov noting successful oil supplies to India and mutual interest in joint exploration projects in Russia’s Far East and Arctic regions.
The talks came amid growing U.S. pressure on New Delhi, after Washington imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Indian goods in response to India’s increased purchases of Russian crude. Western nations argue that these imports indirectly fund Moscow’s war in Ukraine, but India has dismissed the criticism, insisting its energy deals are driven by commercial needs and pointing to continued Western trade with Russia.
Jaishankar emphasized that India-Russia relations remain one of the steadiest global partnerships since World War Two. Both sides vowed to expand bilateral trade, with India seeking to boost exports in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and textiles to address trade imbalances. Meanwhile, Moscow expressed optimism about maintaining oil supplies to India and suggested future trilateral talks with China and India to strengthen regional cooperation.
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