US Remark on PM Modi-Putin Selfie: “Trump’s Coercive Partnerships Come At A Cost,” a lawmaker claims
US Remark on PM Modi-Putin Selfie: When discussing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s well-known automobile selfie with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US ambassador Sydney Kamlager-Dove stated it spoke “a thousand words.”
According to Dove, there is a price for US President Donald Trump’s forceful tactics.
One way to characterize Trump’s actions toward India is as “biting our nose to spite our face… There is a price for being a forceful partner. And there are a thousand words in this poster. Putting US key allies in the hands of our enemies is not how you win a Nobel Peace Prize. In order to repair the harm this administration has caused to the US-India relationship and restore the collaboration that is crucial to US economy, security, and global leadership, we must act with extreme haste,” she said.
These comments were delivered at a hearing on “The US-India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific” held by the House Foreign Affairs South and Central Asia Subcommittee.
Jayapal expresses worries about trade restrictions
US Representative Pramila Jayapal expressed concerns about immigration laws and trade restrictions that impact India-US economic and interpersonal relations while speaking from the same stage.
Jayapal emphasized the effects on companies and consumers of the continuing tariff issues affecting both nations. “We also have issues with tariffs, both in India and here in the United States,” she said. In addition to harming American companies and consumers, these tariffs are affecting India’s economy.
Her worries about tariffs coincided with an increase in trade tensions as a result of remarks made by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Trump accused additional Delhi of “dumping” cheap rice into the American market and hurting American farmers, and he threatened to impose additional duties on India’s rice shipments. During a White House meeting, he made these statements and unveiled a USD 12 billion relief plan for American farmers.
US farmers’ opinions about imports from India
Several US farmers expressed dissatisfaction at the discussion, claiming that low-cost imports from Vietnam, Thailand, and India were lowering local pricing. In response to these worries, Trump stated he would “take care” of the alleged dumping and asked why more penalties had not been placed on India, indicating that further tariffs would soon be taken into consideration.
These events occurred when a US trade team was already in India from December 10 to 11 for talks that haven’t produced much progress. Disagreements over tariffs and market access have hampered the continuing negotiations, further straining the trade relationship.
Amid larger trade conflicts and worries over India’s imports of Russian energy, the United States had already placed 50% tariffs on the majority of Indian exports in August 2025. Trump’s most recent threat has made the already challenging discussions even more unpredictable, increasing the likelihood that trade tensions between the two nations will worsen.