Amid rising tensions between India and the United States following Donald Trump’s recent tariff warnings, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command on Tuesday shared a vintage newspaper clipping from 1971, taking a subtle swipe at Washington’s long-standing support for Pakistan.
The post, dated August 5, 1971, highlights a historical headline: “US ARMS WORTH $2 BILLION SHIPPED TO PAKISTAN SINCE ’54.” It was shared with the caption: “This day, that year build up of war, August 5, 1971.”
#IndianArmy#EasternCommand#VijayVarsh #LiberationOfBangladesh #MediaHighlights
“This Day That Year” Build Up of War – 05 Aug 1971 #KnowFacts.
“𝑼.𝑺 𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑺 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯 $2 𝑩𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫 𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵 𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑬 ’54”@adgpi@SpokespersonMoD… pic.twitter.com/wO9jiLlLQf
— EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) August 5, 2025
The clip traces back to discussions in the Rajya Sabha in the months leading up to the 1971 India-Pakistan war, which later resulted in the formation of Bangladesh. At the time, then Defense Production Minister VC Shukla had revealed that NATO powers and the Soviet Union had been approached regarding Pakistan’s growing arms stockpile amid its military aggression in Bangladesh. While France and the Soviet Union denied any involvement in arming Pakistan, the United States continued its military support, the report stated.
According to the excerpt, both the US and China had supplied Pakistan with weapons at “throwaway prices,” raising the possibility that Islamabad may have fought the war using arms sourced from these two nations.
Trump’s Warning on Tariffs
The resurfacing of the 1971 news article came a day after former US President Donald Trump criticized India over its purchase of Russian crude oil. He threatened to hike tariffs on Indian goods, saying, “India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits.” He further added, “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
India’s Strong Rebuttal to US and EU
In response to Trump’s remarks and growing Western scrutiny, India launched a strong counterattack, calling the criticism “unjustified and unreasonable.” The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that India has been unfairly singled out for its Russian oil imports, while both the US and European Union continue to engage in trade with Russia.
“Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the MEA said. It further detailed that Europe’s imports from Russia cover not just energy, but also include fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, machinery, and transport equipment.
As for the United States, the MEA pointed out its ongoing imports from Russia, including “uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers as well as chemicals.”
“In this background, the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the ministry asserted.
India’s Energy Strategy Explained
The MEA also clarified that India’s decision to purchase oil from Russia was driven by global market dynamics. As European nations began sourcing energy from Russia amid the Ukraine conflict, India had to shift its procurement to maintain energy stability.
“The US at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability,” it said. The ministry also stated that India’s imports were essential for “ensuring predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumers.”
“They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,” it added.
