US Senator Lindsey Graham on Thursday (local time) hinted that countries still buying russian oil will face consequences, saying that “India is experiencing the cost of supporting Putin”. In a post on X, Senator wrote, “India, China, Brazil and others who prop up Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil: How do you feel right now that your purchases have resulted in innocent civilians, including children, being killed? India is experiencing the cost of supporting Putin. To the rest, you will soon, too.” Lindsey’s comments came after Russia unleashed a barrage of missiles on Kyiv on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and injuring dozens.”
The strikes also damaged the European Union’s diplomatic mission in the city, according to reports from Euro News. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the strikes, calling them “another massive attack against our cities and communities.” He said first responders were pulling survivors from the rubble of a residential building. “At least 8 people have already been confirmed dead. One of them is a child. My condolences to all their families and loved ones,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday hit out at the United States for what he called “unjustified and unreasonable” tariffs on Indian goods, after the Trump administration raised duties to over 50 per cent as a penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil.
“What we are concerned about is that red lines are primarily in the interest of our farmers and, to some extent, our small producers. So when people pronounce that we have succeeded or failed, we as a government are committed to defending the interests of our farmers and small producers. We are determined on that. That’s not something we can compromise,” Jaishankar said. The Commerce Ministry on Thursday said the recent imposition of 50 per cent tariffs by the United States will have a short-term impact on India’s exports, particularly in sectors such as textiles, chemicals, and machinery. However, it asserted that the long-term effect on overall trade and GDP will remain limited.
“It is understood that 50 per cent tariffs are going to impact trade, especially the sectors on which tariffs are there. They will suffer some trade loss in the US. There will be an impact on textiles, chemicals, machinery, etc. for the short run, but it will not be a very long-term loss,” a senior Commerce Ministry official told ANI. The official acknowledged that industry bodies have expressed concern over liquidity constraints due to slowing orders and delayed payment cycles. “In the short run, their orders will slow down. The money that they have to get back from their exports will also slow down. So they will face some liquidity crunch and will be under financial strain to run their operations,” the official said.
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