By Jotirmoy Roy
Introduction
The first week of August 2025 has seen the release of a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which is regarded as a watershed moment in modern international diplomatic rhetoric. This was in reaction to the recent actions by the United States of America and the European Union (EU), which seemed to target India for continuing to trade in Russian energy products. Importantly, this statement followed a press release by former U.S. President Donald Trump announcing retaliatory tariffs—far in excess of the current 25%—on India for its move on the importation, processing, and sale of Russian oil. Further fueling the crisis, Trump’s top aides openly blamed India for “funding” Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.
Context and Background
The threats and allegations of tariffs have come even as many Western countries still rely on Russian energy resources, rare minerals, and nuclear fuel. Furthermore, the recent European Union sanctions on India’s Vadinar refinery, which is co-owned by Russian interests, seriously threaten India’s energy security and economic stability.
The Indian government responded categorically:
“India’s purchase of Russian oil is a question of national requirement, rather than ideological loyalty.”
— MEA Spokesperson, August 2025
This assertion is significant not merely in today’s geopolitical context, but also as a reaffirmation of India foreign policy consistent practice of the doctrine of strategic autonomy—a principle that owes its origins to the Non-Aligned Movement’s (NAM) historical experience, which was pioneered in the past by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. India foreign policy
India’s Diplomatic Posture: A Warning on Inconsistent Standards
The MEA release refers to increasing frustration with India’s sense of Western double standards. While the West has a tendency to sermonize in terms of a “rules-based international order,” it repeatedly invokes exceptionalism in pursuing its geopolitical agendas. Western commerce with Russia in the face of Indian energy imports is a symptom of the contradiction.
Therefore, India’s response can be interpreted as a diplomatic warning sign:
“No country has the right to determine the parties with whom India can do business or collaborate.”
This position serves as a reaffirmation of the principle of Westphalian sovereignty, which asserts the entitlement of states to establish their own policies devoid of external interference.
Trump’s Strategy and India’s Response
Trump’s assertion that India is “not a good trade partner” rests chiefly on failed negotiations for market access in agriculture, dairy, and genetically modified (GM) foods—areas where India has held out for retaining protectionist domestic controls. These are a reflection of a clash between United States trade interests and India’s autonomous regulatory regimes.
But India’s response to such conversation is not one of defensiveness, but a forward-looking articulation of its evolving world role. That is, India is no longer content simply to see that its point of view is represented in world conversation; it wants to help create the conversation.
The Moscow Visit: A Strategic Signal
The recent visits of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India next month, convey a clear message: India can make strategic decisions that lie outside the ambit of Western influence.
This is in line with India’s multi-alignment policy—a policy that calls to maintain relations balanced and pragmatic with different centers of world power, but not to align with any one bloc or ideology.
Conclusion
India’s present foreign policy strategy clearly indicates that the nation is not willing to come under someone else’s influence while establishing its global connections. Primarily, the overarching concerns continue to be industrial interests, economic security, and strategic autonomy.
The aggressive stance of Western policies—particularly under Trump—could be a challenge for U.S.-India relations, but presents opportunities for the development of alternative strategic alliances with countries like Russia and China.
India is no longer a reactive force in international politics. It is increasingly emerging as an agenda-setting, trend-setting force, shaping the lines of the new multipolar world order.
