Garcetti termed Donald Trump’s statements about India as objectionable. He noted that India has purchased oil from Russia primarily to access more affordable energy for itself.
Published: October 20, 2025 6:36 AM IST
The relations between New Delhi and Washington have been reeling under severe stress after Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50 per cent, including a 25 per cent additional duty for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India described the US action as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable”. Meanwhile, Trump has once again repeated his claims about resolving the war between India and Pakistan, adding that Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has said, “I have saved millions of lives.”
Several leaders, experts, and diplomats have criticized Donald Trump’s tariff move. Former US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti severely condemned Trump’s tariff policies, particularly the steep tariffs on India imposed by the Trump administration. In an interview, Garcetti said that the tariffs were an action that strained relations between the two countries. Furthermore, he emphasized that India did exactly what Europe and the United States expected by purchasing Russian oil within the established price cap. After Trump took office, he targeted India by calling it a country funding Russia’s war machine, which Garcetti stated was an unfair characterization.
“Trump’s sanctions on India are a mistake. India did what Europe and America asked for by buying Russian oil under a price cap. Then, Trump came along and claimed India was funding the Russian war machine,” former US Ambassador Eric Garcetti was quoted as saying in an interview.
Garcetti termed Donald Trump’s statements about India as objectionable. He noted that India has purchased oil from Russia primarily to access more affordable energy for itself, rather than to show support for Moscow. In light of this, the U.S. should not damage its relationship with India over this matter, as the U.S. would also suffer if it lost its friendship with India. Eric Garcetti served as U.S. Ambassador to India from 2023 to January 2025 after serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles.
Garcetti has stated in the past that India is buying Russian oil because the U.S. wanted countries to buy the oil up to a capped price. According to Garcetti, this wasn’t a breach of any rule. It was a piece of the larger policy designed to stop a rise in global oil prices. Garcetti said India was complying with that policy but Trump simply didn’t get it and took a different position altogether, as reported by NavBharatTimes.
Eric Garcetti has on several occasions voiced concern over the tension in India-U.S. relations resulting from Donald Trump’s policies and remarks. Last month, he stated Trump had reversed the progress made in the last 24–25 years regarding helping the bilateral relationship. Garcetti acknowledged that the current epoch of bilateral relations began in 2000 when President Bill Clinton visited India. In more recent contexts, Garcetti stated that the relationship has “taken a hit.”
Eric Garcetti remarked that the recent developments in the United States-India relationship extend beyond trade conflicts or strategic disagreements, and their consequences, he cautioned, will be enduring for India. Additionally, Garcetti claimed that the current tensions constitute an issue that will be critically relevant to the long-term strategic interests of both countries, and he called for more attention to be given to the restoration and strengthening of bilateral relations.
Earlier, Eric Garcetti, who served as Ambassador to India until recently, warned of the “deepest set of blows…we’ve seen in over 20 years.” He noted that recent events represent more than tactical disagreements over trade deals, describing them as fundamental shifts that “don’t go away overnight on the street in India.”
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