“Should a nation pressurize India against trade with Russia when it itself relies on the Kremlin for its domestic interests?”
AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal Writes Open Letter To US President Over Tariffs Latest News
AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal has written an open letter to the US President Donald Trump over the additional 25% tariff announced on Wednesday night as a penalty for the continued import of Russian crude oil.
He has called the move “deeply disappointing.“
In the letter addressed to President Trump, Ashok Kumar Mittal said," On August 6, 2025, your administration imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports—raising the total to 50%—citing India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. For two nations that have a long strategic, values-based partnership, this move is deeply disappointing.
He has called out President Trump for calling India a “dead economy”.
“India is a 'dead economy,” you said. Yet this “dead” economy is the 4th largest in the world, soon to be third, and remains the fastest growing among major nations. American companies generate $80+ billion annually from the Indian market across education, tech, finance, and IP. India’s position as the third-largest air transport market holds deep strategic value for the U.S., with deals worth $2.45 billion signed in 2022 alone. The U.S. digital economy runs on code—much of it written in India,” the letter read.
Ashok Kumar Mittal also called out Donald Trump for being what appears to be a hypocrite and for having double standards for ‘quietly’ importing “uranium, palladium as well as chemicals from Russia.”
He said, “It is also telling that your close ally, the European Union, recorded over €67.5 billion in trade with Russia last year, including record LNG imports, even as it calls for others to scale back. What is more surprising is that the United States continues to quietly import uranium, palladium, as well as chemicals from Russia.”
“Should a nation pressurize India against trade with Russia when it itself relies on the Kremlin for its domestic interests?” AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal questioned.
Mittal highlighted that on August 7, the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905—a powerful assertion of economic self-reliance against foreign control.
Continuing in strong words, he said, “If 146 crore Indians were to channel that spirit (Swadeshi Movement) today and initiate a strategic restriction of U.S. businesses, the impact would be far more severe for the United States than for India.”
“Guided by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, we have stood by the U.S. But the future now lies in the hands of those who understand that diplomacy and cooperation are the way forward, not sweeping tariffs,” he further said.
“Mr. President, let us choose dialogue over discord, coordination over coercion. Let us shape the future - through respect, resolve, and renewed commitment to a rules-based global order,” Ashok Kumar Mittal concluded.
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