*India–US confrontation over Russian oil purchase; tough times for diplomacy * UPDATED

The development of this week is Washington’s new Russia-sanctions legislation, which threatens countries making significant purchases of Russian oil with tariffs of up to 100%. India has strongly objected, stressing energy security and diversified sourcing.

This issue places Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in a difficult policy trade-off - reducing Russian crude could affect domestic fuel costs, while maintaining purchases risks India’s exports to the US.

The development also comes as India seeks to preserve progress in US trade negotiations while simultaneously expanding economic relationships with the UK, EU and Canada. The emerging trend is therefore not simply India–US friction, but a more assertive Indian effort to retain strategic autonomy while diversifying economic partnerships.