India Faces Pressure Over Russian Oil and US Tariffs
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India finds itself under pressure again, caught between the threat of tariffs from US President Donald Trump and its ongoing purchases of Russian oil.
Trump has threatened to place a 100% tariff on India, a huge extra tax on goods brought into the United States. The threat is linked to India's continued buying of oil from Russia, which the US wants to stop.
China has also been warned. The US says both India and China could face these heavy tariffs unless they reduce their reliance on Russian oil supplies.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked Trump for signing a new bill introducing further sanctions on Russia. Sanctions are official measures used to limit a country's trade and economy.
Zelenskyy described the bill as 'critically important,' suggesting it could add real pressure on Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues.
With Western sanctions tightening, Russia may increasingly turn to its allies in Africa for support, replacing some of the trade and partnerships it has lost with Western nations.
For India, the situation creates a difficult balancing act. On one hand, Russian oil remains cheap and useful for India's energy needs. On the other, India wants to protect its important trade relationship with the United States.
This is not the first time India has faced this kind of pressure. The country has tried to stay neutral in the conflict between Russia and the West, while also managing its own economic interests.
How India responds to the tariff threat, and whether it changes its oil purchases from Russia, remains to be seen.
Vocabulary8 words
- tariff
- extra tax added to goods entering a country
- threat
- a warning that something bad could happen
- reliance
- depending on something a lot
- sanctions
- official rules that limit trade with a country
- critically important
- extremely necessary
- allies
- countries that support and help each other
- neutral
- not supporting either side in a conflict
- squeezed
- forced into a difficult position by two pressures
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Because India is buying oil from Russia 2. Signing a new Russia sanctions bill 3. Africa
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
India finds itself under pressure again, caught between the threat of _____ from US President Donald Trump and its ongoing purchases of Russian oil.
Trump has threatened to place a _____ tariff on India, a huge extra tax on goods brought into the United States.
_____ has also been warned. The US says both India and China could face these heavy tariffs unless they reduce their reliance on Russian oil supplies.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr _____ has thanked Trump for signing a new bill introducing further sanctions on Russia.
Zelenskyy described the bill as '_____,' suggesting it could add real pressure on Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues.
With Western sanctions tightening, Russia may increasingly turn to its allies in _____ for support.
For India, the situation creates a difficult balancing act between cheap Russian oil and its trade relationship with the _____.
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