American journalist and political commentator Rick Sanchez has strongly criticised the US decision to impose tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, calling it a “disrespectful and ignorant policy” that treats India like a “schoolchild.”
In an interview with ANI, Sanchez, who hosts The Sanchez Effect on Russia Today, said Washington’s secondary tariffs were “preposterous” and highlighted that India had shown maturity by standing firm against US diktats.
“India is the big boy, not a schoolchild. When New Delhi told Washington it cannot dictate where India buys its oil from, it was a transformational moment,” Sanchez remarked, noting that historians may view it as a turning point in the decline of old Western dominance since World War II.
Sanchez accused former US President Donald Trump of making decisions based on “vendettas, grudges, and non-scientific thinking,” adding that the steep 50% tariff on Indian goods stemmed more from Trump’s personal frustration over not being allowed to mediate in India-Pakistan tensions than sound policy.
He also dismissed Trump aide Peter Navarro’s claim that the Russia-Ukraine war was “PM Modi’s war” as “absolutely laughable,” and criticised Washington’s limited understanding of India’s history and its role in global geopolitics.
The commentator further argued that Trump’s inconsistent approach towards sanctions — penalising India but not China or Europe despite their continued purchases of Russian energy — showed a lack of stability in US foreign policy.
Sanchez said Trump’s moves risk pushing India closer to China economically, pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagement with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin could reshape global alignments.
India, meanwhile, has called the US tariffs “unfortunate, unfair and unjustified,” reiterating that its oil imports are driven by market factors and the need to safeguard energy security for 1.4 billion citizens.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had earlier clarified that India does not accept third-party mediation in its disputes with Pakistan and that Prime Minister Modi firmly conveyed this to Trump.
