In any prolonged standoff, either of the two feuding parties has to relent or blink first to end it. The Ukraine-Russia war, now into its fourth year, shows no signs of relenting or abating, with both taking ultranationalistic positions and accusing the other of not going the extra mile to reach out to it. And strange as it might sound, this standoff has caught India in the crossfire. POTUS Trump has taken umbrage at India buying oil from Russia, which in his view is tantamount to India bankrolling the Russian war machine. Hence, the 50% penal tariff on Indian exports to the USA. Trump is blasé about the fact that the US itself buys plutonium, fertilisers, etc. from Russia.

India gains primarily from significant cost savings on discounted crude, which helps manage domestic inflation, ensu

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