On Wednesday, Narendra Modi called Donald Trump to discuss matters on trade, energy and defence. He also reportedly highlighted India's concerns over Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act 2026. Trump signed the sanctions law on Sept 18, giving himself as president substantial authority to impose tariffs up to 100% on major purchasers of Russian energy. The important aspect of the law is that such an imposition will be on presidential 'discretion'.
For India, the question isn't about how many barrels of Russian oil it buys, but whether countries with profoundly different levels of development, economic capacity and strategic relationships with the US should be treated alike. Say, China and India, profoundly different countries, both of which 'do business' with Russia.
