THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK
Bal Ram Sampla
Geopolitics
In 2025, President Donald Trump made decisions that show unfair treatment between countries. This article explains how Trump punishes India for buying Russian oil, but at the same time, he helps American companies make deals with Russia for energy projects. This shows “double standards” – having different rules for different people.
What Trump Did to India
Trump put tariffs on goods from India. These tariffs are 50%. This means Indian products become much more expensive in America.
Why did Trump do this?
(1). Trump says India buys too much oil from Russia
(2). He believes this helps Russia continue the war in Ukraine
(3). Trump wants to punish India to make them stop buying Russian oil
Trump said: “India is helping Russia by buying their oil and military equipment. This makes the war in Ukraine continue.”
What Trump Allows for American Companies
At the same time Trump punishes India, he is making different rules for American companies:
(1) Exxon Mobil (a big American oil company) may return to work in Russia
(2) Exxon wants to work on “Sakhalin-1” (a Russian oil project)
(3) America may help Russia with “Arctic LNG projects”(natural gas projects)
(4) These deals would give American companies lots of money
Exxon originally left Russia in 2022 because of the war in Ukraine. Now Trump wants them to go back.
Why This Matters
This double standard creates several problems:
Trust Issues:
(1). Other countries see America as unfair
(2). Nations lose trust in American leadership
(3). International relationships become damaged
Moral Questions
(1). If buying Russian oil is wrong, why is it wrong only for India?
(2). If helping Russia is bad, why can American companies do it?
(3). What is the real reason for these different rules?
The Real Reason
Many experts believe the real reason is not about stopping Russia. The real reasons might be:
(1). Money
American companies want to make money from Russian energy projects
(2). Competition
America wants to hurt India’s economy to help American businesses
(3). Power
America uses its power to have different rules for different countries
Conclusion
Trump’s policy shows clear double standards. He punishes India with high tariffs for buying Russian oil, but he allows American companies like Exxon to make deals with Russia for energy projects. This is unfair and hypocritical.
The message this sends to the world is simple: “Rules for you, but not for me.” This damages America’s reputation and makes other countries trust America less.
For people learning about international politics, this example shows how powerful countries often use their power unfairly. They create rules for others that they do not follow themselves.
This situation hurts both India and America in the long term. It damages relationships, reduces trust, and shows that money and power matter more than fair treatment and moral principles.
