India has strongly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to impose “substantial” tariffs on the country over its continued purchase of Russian oil, calling the move both “unjustified and unreasonable.”
In a post shared on Truth Social, Trump threatened to raise tariffs on India in retaliation for its oil trade with Russia. He accused India of turning a blind eye to the “devastation” caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, referencing the ongoing conflict and the lives lost. Trump’s statement was pointed, claiming that India “doesn’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
India has emerged as one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, a position bolstered after several European nations curtailed trade with Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Trump, however, did not specify the exact percentage of the new tariff he was threatening to impose on India. This warning came just days after he unveiled a 25% tariff on Indian imports in a separate trade dispute.
In response to Trump’s remarks, India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, issued a statement pushing back against the U.S. president’s claims. Jaiswal pointed out that the United States had encouraged India to import Russian gas at the beginning of the conflict, a strategy intended to stabilize global energy markets.
India’s foreign ministry also criticized the United States for its hypocrisy, citing that the U.S. itself continued trade with Russia, even as it imposed tough sanctions on Moscow. In 2022, the U.S. reportedly traded goods worth around $3.5 billion with Russia, despite its broader sanctions against the country.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” said the statement, adding that the targeting of India was both “unjustified and unreasonable.”
This back-and-forth is part of a wider trade conflict between the U.S. and India. Last week, Trump had praised India as a “friend” but simultaneously warned that its tariffs on U.S. products were “far too high.” He hinted at further penalties if the situation did not improve.
In his Truth Social post, Trump once again expressed disapproval of India’s oil dealings with Russia, 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 added, “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA.”
The situation remains fluid, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government yet to take any official action to halt its oil purchases from Russia. Bloomberg sources revealed that Modi had not ordered India’s oil refineries to stop purchasing Russian oil.
Ajay Srivastava, a former trade official and head of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), suggested that Trump’s claims about India’s oil trade were misleading. Srivastava explained that the oil purchases were a transparent response to global market disruptions caused by Western sanctions on Russia. India’s oil refineries, he emphasized, make independent decisions on where to purchase crude oil based on pricing, supply security, and export considerations.
Srivastava added that India’s oil purchases from Russia were not a secret but were instead a strategic decision aimed at stabilizing the global oil market during a time of significant supply uncertainty.
Relations between the U.S. and Russia have fluctuated during Trump’s time in office and beyond. Although Trump once sought warmer ties with Moscow, his rhetoric against Russia has become more combative in recent months. The former president has described Russia’s military as the “Russian War Machine” and criticized President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
Trump has threatened Moscow with additional tariffs on its oil and other exports if the Kremlin does not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine by August 8.
As tensions mount over both Russia’s role in the war and India’s oil trade, the issue looks set to remain a central point of contention in U.S.-India relations.
