India Tariff Row LIVE: Venkaiah Naidu Says ‘No Question of Yielding to Threats’ Amid US Trade Tensions
India stands firm against US tariff pressure as Venkaiah Naidu, Suresh Prabhu reaffirm commitment to national interest; New Delhi backs Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska.
Former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu says India will not yield to threats amid US tariff dispute.
Former Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday asserted that India will not bow to external pressure amid escalating tariff tensions with the United States. His remarks follow US President Donald Trump’s announcement that trade talks with India will remain suspended until tariff disputes are resolved.
“We will safeguard energy security and stand firm on our strategic and national interests. No threat will work on India,” Naidu declared.
Earlier, Union Minister Suresh Prabhu stressed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would “never compromise with national interest,” calling the US tariffs on India a “unilateral action” and assuring that necessary countermeasures would be taken.
In a separate development, India formally expressed support for the upcoming meeting between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. The Ministry of External Affairs said the talks “hold the promise” of ending the Ukraine conflict and reiterated PM Modi’s stance that “this is not an era of war.”
Trump, meanwhile, confirmed plans to meet with Russia “very shortly,” days after imposing additional duties on India over its purchase of Russian oil, claiming New Delhi was “fuelling” the “Russian war machine.”
