US urges India to stop buying Russian weapons!
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The United States has asked India to stop purchasing weapons from Russia and raised concerns about India’s role in BRICS, particularly in efforts to move away from the US dollar.
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick spoke at the India Today Conclave on Friday, emphasizing that Washington wants India to cut its reliance on Russian military equipment.
“India has historically bought a lot of weapons from Russia, and we think that needs to stop,” Lutnick said. He also criticized BRICS (a group that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) for exploring a new currency system that could challenge the dollar.
“These things don’t help the strong bond we have with India. We want them to stop,” he added.
Trade & Tariffs in Focus
Lutnick also pushed for India to reduce high tariffs on American products, an issue that has been a long-standing concern in US-India trade.
Under President Donald Trump, the US has been urging India to buy more American defense equipment to help balance the trade deficit. Trump has previously criticized India’s tariff policies and called for fairer trade deals.
During a January phone call, Trump discussed the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and when Modi visited the White House last month, the US President even suggested selling F-35 fighter jets to India.
So far, India has agreed to buy six more P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft from the US and is considering joint production of underwater surveillance equipment.
BRICS & the US Dollar
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has downplayed concerns that BRICS countries are planning to replace the US dollar, saying there is no unified stance on the issue.
However, countries like Russia and Iran, which face US economic sanctions, are pushing for alternatives to the dollar to avoid restrictions on global financial markets.
The US-India Trade Gap
Trade is another sore point. In 2023-24, India exported $77 billion worth of goods to the US but only imported $42.1 billion in return.
Trump has long been vocal about trade deficits and has already imposed extra tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Starting April 2, he plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs on certain imports. It’s still unclear if India will face similar measures, as trade negotiations are ongoing.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met with Lutnick in the US this week to discuss a bilateral trade deal, with the first phase expected to be announced by fall 2025.
Automobiles and agricultural products remain key areas of dispute, with Trump previously calling India the "tariff king" due to its high import taxes.
With negotiations still in progress, both sides are trying to strike a deal that works for them.
