US openly justifies Trump’s tariffs to bully India on Oil and Trade

New York/Washington: India is a strategic partner with whom the US engages in a “full and frank” dialogue and President Donald Trump has been very clear with New Delhi on his concerns over its purchase of Russian oil and trade imbalance with Washington, a State Department official said.

“What I can say in terms of India is that the President has been very clear in terms of the concerns he has regarding the trade imbalance, regarding the concerns he has when it comes to the purchase of Russian oil. You have seen him take action directly on that,” State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said at a press briefing on Thursday.

He was responding to a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit from August 31 to September 1, his first visit to the country in seven years.

“India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue,” Pigott said, adding that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also spoken about it.

“Like anything in foreign policy, you are not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything. But it is very clear. The President has been clear (about) the concerns that he has with the trade imbalance, the concerns he has with India purchasing Russian oil. He has taken action,” Pigott said.

In response to another question on whether there is concern about an overall worsening in America’s relationship with India and the potential for Delhi turning more towards China, Pigott stressed that this is about an “honest, full and frank dialogue” about real concerns that this administration has, which the President has outlined very clearly and has been addressing through his actions.

“Addressing those concerns is important. That is part of what it means to have a frank dialogue," he said.

“Ultimately, this is about a frank and full dialogue, and that is what it means to advance American interests. That is what it means to really have full diplomatic dialogue with partners to address concerns that we need to see addressed,” he said.