Is it fair to blame India?
By 2021, just before Russia started a full war with Ukraine, the US was buying almost as much from Russia as it had years earlier. That's important to remember now, because Trump is saying he might punish India with higher taxes for buying oil from Russia.
But here's the thing: Europe is still trading a lot with Russia too. Last year, Europe bought and sold $78 billion worth of goods with Russia. That's more than India did ($69 billion). Europe even spent more on Russian energy than it gave Ukraine to help in the war. So, is it fair for the West to tell India to stop trading with Russia when they're doing the same?
Even the US buys special fuel (enriched uranium) from Russia to power its energy plants. But when India buys oil from Russia to keep its economy running, some in the West act like it's a big problem.
In fact, when the war first started, the US actually told India to buy more oil from Russia so the world wouldn't run out and prices wouldn't go crazy. Back then, India hardly bought any Russian oil. But it agreed to help and started buying more. This helped keep fuel prices lower for everyone, including the US and Europe.
Now, India saves about $2 billion a year by buying cheaper Russian oil. If it stops and goes back to buying from other countries, fuel prices could rise—and the whole world, including the US, might feel that pain.
So, before blaming India, maybe people like Trump should think about what their own countries are doing. It's not fair to call out someone else if you're doing the same thing.
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