Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday strongly countered US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s assertion that India will one day apologise over its stance toward Russia, stating categorically that New Delhi has “nothing to say sorry about” and will continue to exercise sovereign judgement. Tharoor rejects suggestion India “Will Say Sorry” with firmness, insisting India’s actions reflect maturity and balance.
Tharoor questioned why New Delhi is being singled out when other major actors—such as China and Turkey—engage in far larger transactions with Moscow, and even European nations contribute more to Russia despite not buying oil or gas. He noted that earlier US administrations had encouraged India to purchase Russian oil to help “stabilise global prices,” underscoring the inconsistency in Western criticism. His remarks emphasise that India has behaved “with a great deal of maturity” and deserves equitable treatment.
The US Commerce Secretary, speaking to Bloomberg, had forecast that within “a month or two,” India would return to the negotiating table and offer an apology as part of a trade settlement with the United States, reportedly under pressure from steep 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports. He framed India’s stance as bravado and dismissed it as financially motivated purchases of subsidised Russian crude.
Treasury Warns of Pricey Refunds if Tariffs Are Overturned 