US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has indicated that India is likely to reach out to Donald Trump in the next month or two to negotiate a trade deal, suggesting that New Delhi may need to express regrets before discussions can advance. In an interview with Bloomberg, he characterized India as the “vowel” linking Russia and China within the BRICS framework, urging the country to rethink its stance. Lutnick noted that the decision on how to engage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ultimately lies with Trump, emphasizing the US president’s role in the process.
His comments followed a post by Trump on Truth Social, stating that India and Russia had been “lost to China,” which included a photo of Modi alongside Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping at the SCO Summit. The Commerce Secretary cautioned India about the risk of facing 50% tariffs if it continues to align with Russia and China, reinforcing that the US is the world’s largest consumer market. He highlighted India’s significant increase in Russian oil imports—from less than 2% prior to 2022 to approximately 40% now—arguing that pressures from domestic businesses will lead New Delhi to pursue a deal with Washington.
While the US seeks alignment, India insists that its purchases of Russian crude are driven by energy security and the realities of the market in light of Western sanctions on Moscow.