Is former Member of Punjab Public Service Commission
A farmer and keen observer of current affairs
Jefferies, a top Wall Street firm, called Trump’s new 50% tariff wall on Indian goods an act of “personal pique.” The story, confirmed by Sachs, is that Trump felt humiliated when Prime Minister Modi refused to let him play “peace broker” between India and Pakistan. Trump imagined a Nobel-Prize-style role for himself; Modi firmly said no. That snub cut deep. (Link below)
A noisy claim is echoing across Washington: that India is funding Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying discounted oil. The picture painted is that every Indian barrel of crude fuels Putin’s tanks. It sounds dramatic. It is also foolish. And according to leading economist Jeffrey Sachs, the fury from Donald Trump has less to do with oil—and everything to do with Trump’s personal pride.
Sachs put it plainly: Trump has taken it personally. His trade war against India is being driven not by strategy or economics, but by wounded ego. It’s one thing when tariffs are about jobs or trade balance. It’s another when they are about revenge.
The Foolish Blame Game
Russia is one of the world’s largest oil exporters, with buyers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Even Europe, despite sanctions, still ends up consuming Russian oil through blending and back-door routes. To say Russia’s war depends on India alone is laughable.
If buying Russian energy is “funding the war,” then half the world—including Western allies—are guilty. The U.S. itself continues to buy Russian uranium and key minerals. Yet only India is singled out. Why? Because India refuses to fall in line.
India buys Russian oil for one reason: to keep its 1.4 billion people supplied at affordable prices. That is not “sponsorship of war.” That is basic national survival.
The debate inside India is also heating up.
“Operation 37”: Commentators claim an American “deep state” is working to dislodge the Modi government. These are unverified allegations, but they show how distrust is growing.
Kiren Rijiju’s charge: The Union Minister accused Rahul Gandhi of echoing George Soros and “anti-India” forces. It underlines how external pressure is spilling into India’s domestic politics. My earlier OPED on this issue is here https://substack.com/@gpsmann/note/p-171785211
Modi’s stand: The Prime Minister has said clearly he will never compromise farmers’ interests, even if it means paying a “personal price” in the tariff war.
So this is not about oil. It is about ego? Trump’s ego? As claimed by Jeffery Sachs.
His dream of brokering an India-Pakistan peace deal collapsed when Modi refused. He never forgave it. Now, tariffs are his way of settling scores, wrapped in the excuse of punishing India for buying Russian oil.
India is not funding Moscow’s war—it is funding its own survival. The real danger is letting personal grudges between leaders poison a strategic partnership. The Ukraine conflict is serious, but it won’t be solved by Trump’s vendetta or by scapegoating India.