Unfortunate that efforts to build relationship with India, PM Modi undone in just months: US Senator

New York/Washington, Sep 10 (PTI) An influential US Senator has called out the Trump administration for “threatening” India over its oil imports from Russia, saying it is “unfortunate” that the relationship built over years with New Delhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been undone in just months.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen's comments came amid a major downturn between New Delhi and Washington after US President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duties for India's purchase of Russian crude oil.

“I think our foreign policy should always advance America's interests, but President Trump's policies have not delivered. Instead, they've undone six decades of investments that have made the United States respected and influential,” Shaheen, a senator from New Hampshire, said in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington Tuesday.

When asked if the US should be imposing the similar 50 per cent tariff slapped on India for buying oil from Russia, on China as well, she said “I do.” “I think the reason the President didn't do that is because when he talked about imposing tariffs on China earlier, China said, ‘Okay, you want to do that. We're going to deny your critical minerals. We're going to deny all these other goods that we provide to the United States that you depend on us’,” she said.

“I think that is part of what's going on… And it's unfortunate, in my mind, that after years of trying to build this relationship with India and with Prime Minister Modi, that it's been undone in just months,” Shaheen, a Democratic Senator, said.

A Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Senior Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, she highlighted the “contradictions” in Trump’s foreign policy that are “glaring”.

“We've been imposing tariffs on Brazil even though the US runs a trade surplus there. We're threatening India because of their oil imports from Russia, but we're looking the other way when it comes to China,” she said.

Shaheen also referred to the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tianjin, China and the photograph of Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping from the summit.

“All you had to do was to look at those pictures coming out of the Shanghai summit” last week with Modi, Xi and Putin “all holding hands.” India has described the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.” Earlier on Tuesday, Trump, in a post on social media, said he was looking forward to speaking to Prime Minister Narendra in the upcoming weeks. “I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” However, hours later, White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro said the US doesn't need “unfair trade” with India but New Delhi is “desperately” looking for access to the American markets. PTI YAS NPK NPK