New Delhi [India], August 17 : Former Diplomat Veena Sikri has expressed hope that the additional tariffs threatened by the United States on India may be put on hold, following a positive outcome from the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking to ANI, Sikri suggested that the issue of tariffs on Russia's oil sales to China, India, and the EU may have been discussed by Trump with Putin.
"From President Trump's side, I think there is some kind of discussion on this, definitely with President Putin, and it seems that an understanding has been reached that tariffs on Russia's oil sales to China, India, and even the EU do not need to be imposed. There might even be a possibility of trade between Russia and America. So, there is talk of that... President Putin talked about it, saying, 'Oh yes, we have good trade with the USA.' I think this issue of the additional tariff may not come up; maybe it will be put in abeyance for a while," she said.
She added that prior to the summit, the situation appeared grim for India due to the looming threat of tariffs.
"Before the summit in Alaska, President Trump and President Putin, one of Trump's senior ministers, the US Secretary for the Treasury, Mr. Bessant, had even said that, if the meeting doesn't go well, then we may further increase the tariffs on India. So then it was not looking good at all. But after the meeting, there are indications that, even the journalists have been asking President Trump, what about China? They're buying so much oil from Russia. So why aren't you telling them, putting tariffs on them? So President Trump replied that he's going to wait for a few weeks, and maybe it may not be necessary to put tariffs," she said.
Trump, on Saturday, said that his meeting with Russian President Putin in Alaska "went really well." He also held a telephonic conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, several European leaders and the Secretary General of NATO and highlighted that it was determined by all that a peace agreement is the best way going forward.