As India prepares for a major economic blow from 50% US tariffs, American and Russian officials have been discussing a surprising range of potential deals, from oil projects to the sale of nuclear-powered icebreakers. This quiet diplomacy contrasts sharply with the administration’s public punishment of India.
The tariffs imposed by President Trump on Indian goods are explicitly tied to India’s purchase of Russian oil. The White House has framed this as a necessary measure, with the full 50% duty set to be in place by this Wednesday, impacting billions of dollars in trade.
However, a different approach is being taken with Moscow. In recent talks, officials considered allowing Exxon Mobil to return to its former stake in Russia’s Sakhalin-1 project. Other proposals included Russia buying American equipment for its sanctioned LNG projects and, unusually, the US purchasing advanced nuclear-powered icebreakers from Russia.
These potential deals are being presented as incentives for Russia to engage in peace talks over Ukraine. This strategy suggests the US is willing to be flexible with its own sanctions regime to achieve broader geopolitical objectives, a flexibility it has not extended to its ally, India.
