Duplicitous: Editorial on Trump’s Russian oil U-turn and its lessons for India

The decision by the United States of America to buy Russian diesel while threatening to impose hefty tariffs on India and China for purchasing oil from Russia marks Donald Trump's latest act of duplicity. It further erodes what little trust countries around the world today have in Washington even as it underscores why nations like India need to increasingly — and publicly — push back against threats from the US. Mr Trump's actions are clearly driven by desperation ahead of mid-term elections in which his Republican Party is poised to suffer losses. Soaring petrol and diesel prices have led to back-breaking inflation in the US. The blame lies squarely with Mr Trump and his advisers: their disastrous war on Iran is the reason the world is facing an energy crisis that has led to spiralling prices. But the US president needs a scapegoat and, for now, it appears to have settled on Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president. Mr Trump earlier demanded that Mr Zelensky stop attacking Russian diesel facilities, blaming those strikes for the high global prices of the fuel. In fact, most analysts say that while the attacks have led to an energy shortage for Russia, the global crisis is largely driven by the Iran war and the resulting constraints on oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr Trump blaming Mr Zelensky — he said Ukraine needs a new president after Kyiv criticised the Russia diesel deal — is no longer surprising. Still, the US move to buy Russian diesel until at least April after targeting India and others for doing the same is a stunning act of hypocrisy. Until now, India has bent and moulded its energy import policies in line with Mr Trump's demands — be it over Venezuela, Iran or Russia. That must categorically end now. For the other lesson from Washington's diesel deal with Russia is that the US under Mr Trump only respects strength and transactionalism. After an intensifying tit-for-tat tariff war with China in 2025, Mr Trump backed off when the costs to the US economy became apparent. He chose to punish India, but not China, with tariffs for the purchase of Russian oil even though Beijing buys much more. And he has repeatedly sought a détente with Russia despite its refusal to accept Mr Trump's demands to end the Ukraine war. Those who compromise under his threats, whether Europe or India, are treated with disdain. New Delhi must put a stop to this.