Singer Mary Millben Urges Diplomatic Approach in US-India Trade Tensions

Mary Millben Urges Calm and Cooperation as US-India Tariff Tensions Rise.

As trade tensions escalate between India and the United States, African-American singer and cultural ambassador Mary Millben has appealed for restraint and mutual respect. In a strongly worded social media post, Millben called on both nations to move away from aggressive rhetoric and return to the negotiating table as strategic allies.

“I’ll say again: America needs India, and India needs America. Any direction in policy that strains our strategic alliance is the wrong direction,” Millben wrote on X (formerly Twitter), tagging both US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Referring to the recent public back-and-forth over tariffs, she described the exchange of “muscular verbiage” as troubling and counterproductive, especially for the many small businesses caught in the crossfire.

“@POTUS and @NarendraModi, this exchange of ‘muscular verbiage’ on tariffs is troubling us all. Furthermore, countless small businesses in the US and India are hurting in this ‘tariff tug of war.’ I speak to them daily,” she added.

Her message was clear: “Negotiate as real friends. Find common ground. Your legacies and the well-being of our countries depend on this moment.”

Trump’s Threat and India’s Pushback
Millben’s comments came hours after former US President Donald Trump reignited trade tensions by accusing India of being a poor trading partner. In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said he would “very substantially” raise tariffs on Indian goods within 24 hours, citing India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

“With India… they have the highest tariffs of anybody. We do very little business with India because their tariffs are so high,” Trump claimed. “India has not been a good trading partner… They’re fuelling the war machine [in Russia]. And if they’re going to do that, then I’m not going to be happy.”

He also dismissed the idea of a near-term trade deal with India, saying the “sticking point” remains New Delhi’s high tariff regime.

India Defends Its Position
India responded swiftly and sharply, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) rejecting what it called the “unjustified and unreasonable” targeting of the country over its energy imports from Russia. In a statement, the MEA accused both the US and the European Union of hypocrisy, noting that they continue to maintain trade relations with Russia, despite publicly criticizing India for doing the same.

“Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion,” the MEA noted, underlining India’s need to secure affordable energy for domestic consumption.

Russia Weighs In
Russia also came to India’s defense, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that all sovereign nations have the right to choose their economic and trade partners based on national interest.

“We believe that sovereign countries must have and do have the right to choose their trade partners… and determine those modes of trade and economic cooperation that suit their interests,” Peskov said.

The Bigger Picture
Millben’s remarks reflect growing concern among observers about the diplomatic strain between two of the world’s largest democracies. Known for her performances during high-profile India-US events and her vocal advocacy for cross-cultural diplomacy, the singer’s call for calm carries symbolic weight.

With both nations facing economic and geopolitical pressures, her appeal underscores a broader sentiment: that the future of the US-India partnership depends not just on trade figures, but on mutual trust and diplomacy.