<h1>Chief Minister Defends Prime Minister Amid US Tariff Hike, Asserts Nation Alone Sets Its Foreign Policy</h1> A state chief minister publicly defended the Prime Minister after the US President both praised and criticized him, reiterating that the country sets its own foreign policy and cannot be dictated to by another nation. The remarks follow the US doubling tariffs on the country's goods to 50%, including an additional 25% duty linked to purchases of Russian crude, a measure the government has called unfair and unjustified. The exchange highlights a bilateral trade dispute and sovereign foreign-policy assertion with potential diplomatic and economic consequences.