Countries are weaponising economic activities, warns Jaishankar

India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar spoke on the growing trend of countries using economic actions as weapons. He highlighted that tariffs and sanctions have become common tools in international relations over the last decade. Jaishankar made these comments during the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. He noted that there is a more aggressive approach to international relations today compared to ten years ago. Countries are now using economic capabilities like financial flows, technology, and energy supplies as weapons. Jaishankar pointed out that this is a reality that all nations must acknowledge. India, which has a trade surplus with the United States, is currently in talks with the Trump administration to negotiate a trade deal. The goal is to avoid potential tariffs that could come from the U.S. response. He suggested that countries can adopt different strategies to manage this issue. One way is to ensure they are on the "right side" of these economic weapons to avoid negative impacts.