India and the United States are heading for a serious diplomatic clash. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has hit back at Donald Trump’s accusations, defending India’s oil imports from Russia. Trump escalated matters by slapping 25% punitive tariffs on India — a move that has sent relations spiralling downward. Former US Ambassador Nikki Haley has now issued a stark warning: India is America’s only true democratic partner to counter China, and sabotaging 25 years of progress would be a strategic disaster.