‘Modi asked Putin to end the war’: Analyst exposes US hypocrisy in singling out India on Russian oil

In this file photo taken on Wednesday, April 5, 2006, a view of reservoirs of Russian state-controlled oil giant OAO Rosneft, at Priobskoye oil field near Nefteyugansk, in western Siberia, Russia.

The double standards of Trump administration on Russian oil are back in focus with analyst Michael Kugelman pointing out how Washington is punishing India with tariffs while ignoring the fact that China and Europe buy far more crude from Moscow.

In a post on X, he pointed out the blatant hypocrisy of Washington’s position: the United States has slapped punitive tariffs on India for continuing to buy Russian oil, but has remained conspicuously silent on China, which is still trading heavily with Moscow.

“A bit rich for the Trump administration to criticize India for bolstering and enriching the Russian war machine. India has repeatedly called for an end to the war. And Modi has directly and publicly told Putin to end the war. (Also China imports more Russian oil than does India),” his post read.

A bit rich for the Trump administration to criticize India for bolstering and enriching the Russian war machine. India has repeatedly called for an end to the war. And Modi has directly and publicly told Putin to end the war. (Also China imports more Russian oil than does India).

— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) August 18, 2025

Kugelman’s remarks echo New Delhi’s rebuttal to the new tariffs, which it views as a case of selective outrage and strategic bullying by the Trump administration. If the concern were genuinely about “funding Russia’s war machine”, then Beijing and Brussels would be under equal scrutiny. Instead, only India -- Washington’s supposed strategic partner -- is being targeted.

Kugelman calls out US’ double standards

According to Kugelman, this selective targeting of India is not about principle, but about politics. Trump’s tariffs, which now total more than 50 per cent on Indian goods, are being sold as punishment for India’s oil imports from Russia. Yet China, which buys far more Russian crude, faces no such penalties. Nor do European nations, which continue to import Russian gas and critical minerals.

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While Trump paints India as a supporter of the Russian war machine, a closer look at US trade data reveals that Washington continues to quietly do business with Moscow, even in strategic sectors. India has now pushed back forcefully, exposing the double standards.

Shortly after Trump’s threat, India mounted a rare and sharp counterattack. In a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), New Delhi rejected the criticism and exposed the continuing US and EU trade with Russia.

"The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," the MEA statement read.

"India has been targeted by the United States and the European Union for importing oil from Russia after the commencement of the Ukraine conflict. In fact, India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability," it added.

"India's imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," the statement read.

India’s clear position on the War

The US narrative also deliberately ignores India’s consistent position on the Ukraine war. From the beginning, New Delhi has condemned violence and called for diplomacy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, standing alongside Vladimir Putin in 2022, famously said: “This is not an era of war.” That message has since been reiterated on global stages, including the G20.

India’s decision to buy discounted Russian oil has been framed not as a geopolitical statement but as a practical necessity for energy security. At a time when European buyers diverted massive amounts of global supply for themselves, India tapped into Russian barrels to shield its 1.4 billion people from soaring prices.

Modi’s defiant response

Prime Minister Modi, far from bowing to pressure, has doubled down on self-reliance. At a recent rally in Uttar Pradesh, he declared: “The world economy is going through many apprehensions—there is an atmosphere of instability. Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian.”

Earlier, the prime minister made it clear that India will not compromise on the interests of farmers, livestock rearers and fishermen, asserting that he is standing like a wall to protect them.

"Modi is standing like a wall against any harmful policy related to the farmers, fishermen and cattle rearers of India. India will never accept any compromise regarding its farmers, its livestock rearers, its fishermen," he said while addressing the nation on the 79th Independence Day.

The larger fallout

By targeting India, the US risks pushing one of its most important Asian partners closer to China and Russia. Already, reports suggest India is strengthening its BRICS engagement and exploring new trade arrangements that bypass US financial systems. What Trump portrays as toughness may in fact be a strategic blunder, alienating the very partner Washington once called central to its Indo-Pacific vision.