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White House trade advisor Peter Navarro on Monday warned that India must “come around” on trade talks with the United States or risk facing dire consequences. Speaking on Real America’s Voice, Navarro accused New Delhi of hiding behind what he described as the “Maharajah of tariffs” and warned that India’s growing energy ties with Russia would “not end well” for the country.

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“They have the highest tariffs in any major country in the world against the United States. We got to deal with that,” Navarro said, adding that India had bought only “tiny drops” of Russian oil before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine but is now “profiteering” off cheap Russian crude. “American taxpayers end up having to send more money for the conflict,” he claimed.

Navarro contrasted India’s position with US allies such as the European Union, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia, which he said had moved closer to Washington through new trade deals. “I think India must come around at some point. And if it doesn’t, it’s laying down with Russia and China, and that won’t end well for India,” he warned.

The trade advisor also linked India’s energy imports to global security. “India’s got to stop buying Russian oil. The road to peace partly runs through New Delhi,” he argued, while insisting that Europe, too, should halt Russian crude purchases. On China, Navarro noted the US has slapped tariffs of over 50% on imports, calling trade diplomacy with Beijing “Kabuki” that required trust in President Trump.

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But Navarro’s ire was not limited to India. In a separate television interaction, he lashed out at the BRICS bloc—which now includes 10 members after Indonesia’s entry in 2025—saying their economic models depended on US markets. “When they sell to the US, their exports are like vampires sucking our blood dry with their unfair trade practices,” he charged. The senior advisor further alleged that BRICS members “historically hate each other and kill each other” and predicted the grouping would not survive without US trade.

This is not the first time Navarro has used the “vampire” analogy. Earlier this year, he warned the United Kingdom that if China could not “suck the American blood” it would turn to the UK and the European Union instead.

Govinda was one of the biggest superstars in the 1990s and was one of the most loved stars of that era. However, things changed as the 2000s started and soon enough, Govinda’s films were not getting the kind of love, and box office returns that the actor had once experienced. He made a comeback with Salman Khan-starrer Partner but even that did not resuscitate his career. In a recent interview, producer Pahlaj Nihalani, who has collaborated with Govinda in Ilzaam, Shola Aur Shabnam, and Aankhen, revealed that people around him wanted to destroy the actor’s career.

During a conversation with Pinkvilla, Pahlaj said that Govinda has been deceived by many people in Bollywood. “After Partner, everything went against him. He didn’t get any films after that. Many of his big films got shut down, including one with Priyanka Chopra. If someone stabs you in the back, there’s not even a single mark left behind. You don’t even get to know. So, he has been stabbed in the back many times,” he shared.

The producer also clarified that it wasn’t his assumption that people wanted to destroy his career. “It was the truth. Even after Rangeela Raja, many big producers asked me if Govinda ever annoyed me, but I denied. He used to come and go back on time. It’s a rumour that he comes late. He has shot for me 6 am in the morning. He was never late than the assigned time,” he revealed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday strongly criticised US counterpart Donald Trump for using tariffs as a bargaining tool with China and India in the current geopolitical landscape.

Putin said both Beijing and New Delhi have their “own domestic political mechanism and laws” and noted that the two nations have endured difficult periods in their history, marked by colonialism and repeated attacks on sovereignty.

When somebody [Donald Trump] tells you that they are going to punish you…you have to think about the leadership of those big countries,” Putin said.

“You have countries like India with 1.5 billion people, and China, both with powerful economies. They also have their own domestic political mechanism and laws. When somebody tells you that they are going to punish you…you have to think about the leadership of those big countries, which had a difficult period of their history too…that had to deal with colonialism, attacks on their sovereignty during prolonged periods of time,” the Russian President said at a press briefing.

He futher said: “You have to understand that if one of them shows weakness, his political career will be over, which influences his behaviour”.

Putin, however, expressed hope that everything will ultimately be sorted out for the normal political dialogue to begin

Just as the colonial era is over, they have to realise that they [the US] cannot use this term when speaking with partners. But ultimately, things will be sorted out, and we will have normal political dialogue again,” he said.

Last week, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China’s Tianjin, leaders from India, China, and Russia projected an image of warmth and strategic convergence that rattled Washington.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Russia a “special and privileged partner”.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared that “the world’s two most populous countries need to be friends.” And Russian President Vladimir Putin clasped PM Modi’s hand, addressed him as “dear friend,” and whisked him away in his armoured Aurus limousine.

The optics told a story of deepening chemistry: Xi and PM Modi smiling together after years of tension, PM Modi leaning into Moscow even as Trump slapped tariffs on Indian goods, and Putin positioning himself as the indispensable broker of this triangular courtship

The move was subtle but seismic. While Trump met Putin in Alaska on August 15 to persuade him to drift from China’s orbit, Beijing welcomed PM Modi just two weeks later. On August 30, Modi was in Beijing. The next day, he stood smiling next to Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO summit in Tianjin – a public relations coup for Beijing and Moscow.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a pointed remark seen as a veiled dig at Trump, said: “India had achieved a 7.8 per cent GDP growth despite “challenges created by economic selfishness”.

Earlier, in support of India, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong wrote: “Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile”.

Feihong said this a day after Trump slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for its trade with Russia.

The remark was seen by some as expressing solidarity with countries like India and Brazil, at the receiving end of Trump’s trade war.

Xu’s post also tagged Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s remarks, after his talks with the Brazilian president’s chief advisor Celso Amorim, that using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules and is both unpopular and unsustainable.

Key Update: Modi and Putin Share a Ride to Their Bilateral Meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin made headlines by traveling together in the same car from the SCO summit venue to their bilateral meeting location—an unusual gesture that spotlighted their close diplomatic rapport.

• Modi confirmed on X (formerly Twitter), “After the proceedings at the SCO Summit venue, President Putin and I travelled together to the venue of our bilateral meeting. Conversations with him are always insightful.” The Economic TimesThe Times of India

• According to NDTV (via PTI), Putin waited around 10 minutes for Modi before they departed together. Their conversation continued during the ride and extended for around 45 minutes inside the car even after reaching the venue. Their formal bilateral meeting then lasted over an hour. www.ndtv.commint

• Reports from Times of India and The Tribune echo this, stating the ride was offered by Putin and the tete-à-tete lasted close to an hour, possibly involving “discussions not for the ears of others.” The Times of IndiaThe Tribune

What It Signifies

This shared ride wasn’t just transportation—it was a diplomatic statement:

• Strategic symbolism: In light of U.S. tariffs (up to 50%) targeting India over its oil imports from Russia, this act served as a nuanced response and reaffirmation of India–Russia ties. AP Newswww.ndtv.comIndia Today

• Personal camaraderie: The extended private conversation and subsequent bilateral meeting underscored the “special and privileged” strategic partnership between the two nations. AP Newsmint

• Visual diplomacy: The images and narratives highlighted growing alignment among India, Russia, and China amidst shifting global geopolitics.

Washington, August 22, 2025 (TPE News): President Donald Trump’s tariff escalation is sending shockwaves across world markets, as new duties on imports from the European Union, India, Australia, and the U.K. raise fears of prolonged economic disruption.

The U.S. has enforced a 15% tariff on major EU exports, while simultaneously slapping a 50% tariff on Indian goods in retaliation for energy trade with Russia. Australia has lost its duty-free exemption on shipments under $800, dealing a blow to cross-border e-commerce. The U.K.’s machinery and steel exports are also caught in the tariff net, forcing companies to reassess trade strategies.

Global businesses are responding swiftly: Sony raised PlayStation prices in the U.S. by $50, while U.K. manufacturing giant JCB warned of hundreds of millions in potential losses due to higher costs.

Although U.S. tariff revenues have surged—$158 billion collected in 2025 so far—economists caution that ordinary consumers will bear the brunt through rising prices, higher inflation, and slower wage growth.

Geopolitically, tensions are mounting. China has openly supported India, condemning the U.S. tariffs as “bullying,” and signaling a possible realignment of global trade alliances. Analysts warn that this could intensify the divide between Washington and emerging economic blocs.

With revenues climbing but risks growing, Trump’s tariffs are proving to be both a financial weapon and a diplomatic flashpoint, leaving the future of global trade on uncertain ground.