India, Oct. 8 -- Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement that the negotiations with the US for a trade deal have reached a "plateau" reflects the challenges the world is facing from the Trump administration's maximalist and mercantilist orientation.

Last month, India faced yet another transgression at the hands of the US. The US Congress passed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. This legislation allows the imposition of up to 100% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil. Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal was clear about who this targets. "China and India, you better buy your oil and gas somewhere else," he warned.

In this tumultuous phase of the Washington-New Delhi relationship that Trump 2.0 is - marked by the ki...