This was told in an interview with Ukraina.ru by Dr. Ankit Shah.
Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Indian imports to the US at August, 6.
— Dr. Shah, why did Trump do this immediately after Whitkoff's visit to Russia?
— Looks like president Trump is considering his India trade policy counting on Delhi's relations with Moscow to close the conflict as early as possible. His abrupt behavior has affected ties severely but we are to continue with strategic autonomy firmly in foreign relations. No country, however powerful, will be allowed to give inputs on our relations with a third country.
— Does this mean that Whitkoff and Putin's conversation did not meet Trump's expectations?
— Possibly. He has unrealistic expectations of nations. The need to flex his "art of the deal" image among the American citizens overshadows long term American interests.
— What does Trump want to achieve from India?
— The American team has pre-set demands of what Bharat should be buying from America. We have to balance those with our requirements of exports. That is where the talks are stuck.
— How is India reacting to such a slap in the face in the form of tariffs from Trump?
— The public perception is not to take Trump seriously at all. We operate our diplomacy with long term focus. Most domain experts consider Trump as some kind of temporary glitch in the relations until the mid-term elections in the US in 2026 where he expected to be weakened politically.
— How will US sanctions against India affect relations between India and Russia?
— We do not see any change. Our relations with Russia stand tall and on its own legs. There is no space for any third country influencing any discussions. We have a time-tested partnership with Moscow.
— How will India respond to the US? Perhaps it will impose counter-sanctions?
— The lower level MEA staff is replying to the flip-flops coming from Washington which shows that we do not take them seriously at all. Consequences, if any, will be addressed when it comes to that. We are a huge nation and the oldest civilisation. We do not get affected with the tiny ups and downs in trade. We are not an export-oriented economy.