EAM Jaishankar slams US on trade, backs Russian oil buy

TOI Correspondent from Washington: Foreign minister S Jaishankar slammed the US and more broadly the West for hogging resources and then dishing out "sanctimonious lectures" when it came to trade.

"On top of that, we now see tariff volatility and uncertain market access. As a result, de-risking is a growing compulsion, whether from limited sources of supply or over dependence on a particular market," Jaishankar said in an implicit defence of India's buying of Russian oil during his address before the UN General Assembly.

Alluding also to the Trump administration moves to curtail movement of skilled workers, Jaishankar said restricting the evolution of a global workplace is an issue which underscores a compelling case for more international cooperation, not less. "Understandably, we have different histories, traditions, heritage and culture. For them to co-exist, for them to enrich each other, it is imperative that we foster understanding and respect. This will only happen when we resist political interference and economic pressures, when narratives are free of prejudice... and when pluralism is truly appreciated," Jaishankar said in what appeared to be a critique of MAGA isolationism.