For India, the cost of its alliance with the United States appears to be rising, as it faces steep economic tariffs while the US administration pursues its own energy-related deals with Russia. This situation has put the Indo-US strategic partnership under considerable strain.
The immediate cost for India is a 50% tariff on its exports to the US, a measure President Trump has directly linked to India’s decision to purchase Russian oil. This punitive action is set to be fully implemented this week, impacting a wide range of Indian industries.
While India pays this price, the US is exploring opportunities that would deepen its own economic engagement with Russia. The potential return of Exxon Mobil to the Sakhalin-1 project is a key part of these discussions, which are aimed at fostering a diplomatic breakthrough on Ukraine.
This dynamic suggests that for Washington, the pursuit of short-term geopolitical objectives with an adversary can sometimes take precedence over the long-term health of an alliance. For India, it is a stark reminder of the complexities and costs associated with navigating today’s multipolar world.