Author and historian Zorawar Daulet Singh recently took US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to the cleaners over his latest tariff threat to Russia. Singh wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the US cannot coerce Russia into making concessions on geopolitical issues concerning a potential Ukraine settlement.
Singh, who has authored books like Himalayan Stalemate: Understanding the India-China Dispute, said that the Indian economy will not go down with the EU in the US’ “harebrained scheme to salvage an impending western defeat in Ukraine”.
“The US cannot coerce Russia to make concessions on core geopolitical issues on a potential Ukraine settlement. 15,000 plus sanctions have so far failed to make any dent in the Russian war effort. Perhaps, the real aim is to totally finish off European industry and capture its energy market with export of more costly US energy. The Indian economy is not going down with EU in this harebrained scheme to salvage an impending western defeat in Ukraine,” Singh wrote in his post.
In an interview with NBC News, Bessent warned that Russia’s economy will “collapse” if the US and European Union expand secondary sanctions on countries that are buying Moscow’s crude oil.
“If the U.S. and EU can come in, do more sanctions, secondary tariffs on the countries that buy Russian oil, the Russian economy will be in full collapse,” Bessent said. “That will bring President Putin to the table.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has endorsed the United States’ decision to impose tariffs on countries like India continuing to buy oil from Russia. In an interview with ABC News, Zelensky stated, “I think the idea to put tariffs on the country…continuing to make deals with Russia is the right idea,” emphasising the geopolitical challenges amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
The Trump administration has indicated plans to expand sanctions against Russia, targeting countries engaging economically with Moscow. Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, highlighted India’s purchase of Russian oil as a key issue. “At the National Economic Council, we are responsible for making sure that sanctions get enforced,” he said, noting readiness to respond economically.
India has actively advocated for an early resolution to the Ukraine conflict, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi communicating India’s stance to international leaders. Modi stated, “I conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict.”