'US Thinks They Can Boss Around': Top Economist Jeffrey Sachs Slams Trump Tariffs On India
"This makes no sense. It's not true. It's failing. Putting the surcharge on India was as stupid as it could be from any norm. It serves no purpose," he remarked.
Sachs described Trump as "delusional" and blasted Washington's long-standing habit of exercising global dominance.
"The US has exercised its dominant power for so long, they think they can boss every other part of the world around," he said.
According to Sachs, the 50% duties slapped on Indian imports, triggered by New Delhi's oil trade with Russia, are not only damaging to America's own economy but also breach global rules.
"Everything about the tariffs is wrong. It's destructive for the US economy. It violates international law. It's a breakdown of our political system. Trump's policies are doomed to fail," he warned.
The economist also advised India to take a cautious view of Washington, arguing that New Delhi's long-term interests will not be safeguarded by leaning on the US for defence or trade.
"US politicians don't care at all about India. Please understand this. India is not going to reap long-term security by siding with the United States in the Quad against China. India is a great power that has an independent standing in the world," Sachs said.
Instead, he pointed to China, Russia and Brazil as India's "real partners," cautioning against the belief that India could seamlessly substitute China in global supply chains. Even if India aids in diversifying US sourcing, Sachs said, it should not expect a "great trade relationship" with Washington. He has previously called Trump's tariffs "unconstitutional," arguing they expose deep flaws in America's economic and foreign strategy.
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'We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity' and 'no limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries,' the statement from European leaders said. 'Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to EU and NATO.' Meanwhile, Ukraine's Air Force said on Telegram Saturday morning that Russia launched 85 drones and a ballistic missile at Ukrainian territory overnight, underscoring Moscow's intention to press on with the war. 'We anticipate that in the coming days the Russian army may try to increase pressure and strikes against Ukrainian positions in order to create more favorable political circumstances for talks with global actors,' Zelenskiy said on X. With assistance from Josh Wingrove, Natalia Drozdiak, Stephan Kahl, Arne Delfs, Ros Krasny and Eric Martin. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
