Basic mistake by this govt, foreign policy should never be made personal: Mani Shankar Aiyar on Trump's tariff threat over Russian oil
New Delhi, October 21
Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday criticised the Centre for personalising foreign policy decisions, amid US President Donald Trump's continued tariff threats against India over its purchase of Russian oil. Aiyar urged the government to involve foreign policy experts in such critical discussions.
When asked about Trump's tariff threat, Aiyar said that, to the best of his knowledge, it is not public sector companies but private companies that are purchasing Russian oil.
"Why are you asking me? Ask Jaishankar ji...As far as I know, our public sector companies are not purchasing oil from Russia anymore; only the private companies are still making purchases," he said.
"Foreign policy should never be made personal. This is the basic mistake made by this Government. Simply hugging everyone and saying that you are in the first position in the world is beyond understanding. To forge good relations, our foreign service should be fully utilised...foreign experts should also be spoken to," the Congress leader said.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the Centre on Tuesday over US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the purchase of Russian oil.
In a post on X, the senior Congress leader said, "The matter of India's imports of oil from Russia has been raised by President Trump now thrice in the past five days. And no doubt he will keep increasing this tally as he prepares to meet President Putin in Budapest later in the week."
"President Trump says he has spoken to his good friend Mr Modi, and India has promised to stop these imports. The MEA says it is unaware of such conversations(!), but President Trump has clearly brushed aside the MEA's attempts at denial," he added.
Earlier on Monday, continuing his criticism of India's purchase of Russian oil, US President Donald Trump said that New Delhi would continue to pay tariffs until it halts its imports from Moscow.
Trump, during his press gaggle on Air Force One, was asked about India's denial of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call with him.
"Well then, they're going to just keep paying a lot of tariffs if they said that, but I don't believe they said that. No, I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he's not going to be doing the Russian oil thing," he said.
Trump added, "But if they want to say that, then they'll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don't want to do that."
The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that no phone call took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump the previous day.
When asked about Trump's claim that India would stop buying Russian Oil, the Spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal, said that the two leaders had no phone call on Wednesday.
"On the question of whether there was a conversation or a telephone call between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump. I am not aware of any conversation yesterday between the two leaders," he said.
Jaiswal stated that the two leaders spoke on October 9, during which Prime Minister Modi congratulated Trump on the success of the Gaza peace plan.
— ANI
Reader Comments
India needs to prioritize its energy security. If Russian oil is cheaper and benefits our economy, why should we bow to American pressure? We're a sovereign nation!
The contradiction between Trump's claims and MEA's denial is concerning. Clear communication is essential in international diplomacy. This confusion doesn't help anyone.
While I respect Aiyar's experience, let's not forget that private companies buying Russian oil are also part of our economy. The government needs to balance relations with both US and Russia carefully. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
As an observer, I think India is in a tough spot. Russia has been a reliable partner for decades, but the US is crucial for technology and trade. Tough balancing act for any government.
The "hug diplomacy" comment hits home. Foreign policy needs more substance and less showmanship. Our national interests should come before photo opportunities.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.