• Trump appoints Sergio Gor as ambassador to India and special envoy to South, Central Asia
• Indian postal service halts bookings for US after tariff policy change

ISTANBUL 

India defended its purchase and resale of Russian oil on Saturday, with Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar bluntly telling critics that nobody forces you to buy it, as US President Donald Trump named Sergio Gor the new ambassador to New Delhi in a move highlighting Washington’s tougher trade stance toward India.

“It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business … If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said at an event in New Delhi.

Bilateral trade between India and Russia reached a record $68.7 billion last year, with India importing about 88 million tons of Russian oil during the same period.

US President Donald Trump announced Sergio Gor as the new ambassador to India and special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. Gor, who will continue to serve as director of presidential personnel until his Senate confirmation, has overseen the hiring of “nearly 4,000 America First Patriots across every Department of our Federal Government in RECORD time — Our Departments and Agencies are over 95% filled!," Trump wrote on US social media company Truth Social.

“For the most populous region in the world, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Sergio will make an incredible ambassador,” Trump said.

Soviet Union-born Gor, whose full surname is Gorokhovsky, recently drew attention when Elon Musk called him a “snake” after reports surfaced that he had not completed his own security clearance vetting process, amid speculation he influenced Trump’s decision to withdraw Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA administrator.

The appointment comes as India remains locked in a tariff dispute with Washington, which imposed a 50% duty on Indian exports in what it said was an effort to “deter Russia from pursuing” the war in Ukraine.

After more than a thousand days of the Russian war on Ukraine, which began in February 2022, tensions over trade and energy supplies have widened.

Jaishankar said trade negotiations with Washington are continuing but stressed India’s non-negotiables: “Where we are concerned, the red lines are primarily the interests of our farmers and, to some extent, of our small producers.”

Separately, India’s postal service announced a temporary suspension of all types of postal articles bound for the US starting Monday, except for letters, documents, and gift items valued at up to $100. The move comes ahead of Washington’s planned end to the de minimis exemption on Friday, which currently allows parcels worth $800 or less to enter the US without tariffs.