Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a sharp and resonant message as global trade tensions intensify, particularly over U.S. tariff threats and geopolitical pressure on India’s oil trade with Russia. Speaking at the BIMSTEC Traditional Music Festival “SaptaSur: Seven Nations, One Melody” in Delhi, he underscored India’s vision for a multipolar world order, stressing that the global system must be fair, representative, and not dominated by a handful of powerful nations.

Jaishankar’s remarks came amid escalating U.S. pressure—former President Donald Trump had threatened to substantially raise tariffs on India, particularly due to its Russian oil imports. These threats followed Trump’s broader posture that India and Russia were problematic trade partners, raising alarms in New Delhi about one-sided economic coercion .

Jaishankar remarked, “We live in complicated and uncertain times. Our collective desire is to see a fair and representative global order, not one dominated by a few,” characterizing this aim as part of the political and economic rebalancing many countries now pursue .

Pressed on whether India could trust Trump or view him as a reliable partner, Jaishankar responded with clear pragmatism. When asked about the U.S. President’s credibility, he replied, “Meaning what?” and added: “I take the world as I find it. Our aim is to advance every relationship that serves our interests—and the U.S. relationship is of immense importance to us. It’s not about personality X or President Y.” This underscored India’s strategic autonomy and realistic worldview .

Jaishankar reinforced that India’s Russia oil imports are driven by global market conditions, not political favoritism, and argued that U.S. and European objections reveal double standards—citing continued Western trade with Russia even as it criticizes others .

He also made a broader critique of the post‑1945 liberal world order, asserting its virtues have been exaggerated and that it no longer reflects the geopolitical realities of today. India, he said, is advocating for a system that better aligns with the multipolar modern world, beyond the nostalgic dominance of older Western-centric frameworks .

Speaking also about terrorism and regional security, Jaishankar insisted that terrorism cannot be treated as diplomacy’s apron. He outlined a five-point “new normal” approach to combating cross-border terrorism, emphasizing firm response over dialogue where terrorism persists—an approach he aligned with during the India‑Pakistan Operation Sindoor debate .

Jaishankar’s firm remarks come at a moment of heightened diplomatic friction with the U.S., including trade negotiations that have stalled, tariff threats targeting key Indian exports like electronics and manufacturing, and mounting U.S. criticism over India’s defense ties with Russia.

Jaishankar’s message delivered a confident diplomatic posture: India seeks equitable global order, rejects external interference or imposition, upholds strategic autonomy, and advances international partnerships on the basis of clear national interest, not ideological alignment or personalities.

India’s recalibrated diplomatic tone reflects a determined attempt to navigate growing global uncertainty, asserting its economic resilience, energy security, and sovereign decision-making, while calling for reform in global governance to reflect multipolar realities.