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India has responded to Donald Trump’s threat of “substantially” higher tariffs over its continued purchase of Russian oil, deeming the potential levies “unjustified and unreasonable.”
The former U.S. President, in a post on Truth Social, warned of increased tariffs, alleging India “don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine”.
India has emerged as a significant buyer of Russian oil, becoming a crucial export market for Moscow following trade reductions by several European nations after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
While Trump did not specify the exact tariff increase, the threat follows his recent unveiling of a 25% levy on certain Indian goods.
Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry, stated that the U.S. had initially encouraged India to import Russian gas at the onset of the conflict, “for strengthening global energy markets stability”.
He explained that India “began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict”.
India also criticized the U.S., its largest trading partner, for introducing tariffs while maintaining its own trade relations with Russia. Last year, U.S. trade with Russia was estimated at $3.5 billion, despite existing sanctions and tariffs.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the foreign ministry statement asserted.
“The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” it reiterated.
Just last week, Trump described India as a “friend” while simultaneously claiming its tariffs on U.S. products “are far too high,” also hinting at an unspecified “penalty” related to its trade with Russia.
His recent Truth Social post continued this critical stance.
“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 wrote.
“Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he added.
Bloomberg reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not directed India’s oil refineries to cease purchasing Russian oil, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Ajay Srivastava, former Indian trade official and head of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a Delhi-based think tank, contends that Trump’s assertions regarding India’s oil trade with Russia are misleading.
Speaking to the BBC, he emphasized that this trade has been transparent and largely understood by the U.S.
Mr. Srivastava argued that India’s increased oil purchases helped stabilize global markets after Western sanctions disrupted supplies, preventing a potential global oil price shock.
He further noted that Indian oil refineries, both public and private, independently decide on crude oil sources based on factors like price, supply security, and export regulations, operating without government approval to purchase from Russia or other nations.
Despite a period of warmer relations between the U.S. and Russia following Trump’s return to the White House, the former President has recently adopted a tougher tone towards the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin.
Trump has expressed doubts about Putin’s commitment to peace in Ukraine, employing strong language in Monday’s Truth Social post, referring to the Russian military as the “Russian War Machine”.
President Putin has repeatedly stated his readiness for peace, contingent upon Kyiv meeting specific conditions, including the recognition of Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
Trump has threatened Moscow with significant tariffs on its oil and other exports if a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine is not reached by August 8th.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit Russia later this week and is expected to meet with President Putin.
Additional reporting by Soutik Biswas
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