U.S. President Donald Trump has once again threatened to impose higher tariffs on India and Indian goods over New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil, intensifying the trade dispute between the two countries.
In a social media post, Trump wrote:
“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. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
“Because of this,” he added, “I will be substantially raising the Tariffs paid by India to the USA.”
In response, a spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry said New Delhi will “take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.” The spokesperson added: “The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable.”
Trump has said that starting Friday, he intends to impose new sanctions on Russia as well as on countries that continue to buy Russian energy exports- unless Moscow takes concrete steps to end its 3½-year war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no public indication of changing course, despite the looming deadline.
Despite mounting pressure from Western nations, including the U.S., India has said it will continue purchasing Russian oil. Over the weekend, two Indian government sources told Reuters that the country has no plans to change its energy import strategy.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, India has defended its close ties with Moscow and its reliance on Russian oil to meet domestic energy needs. According to data provided to Reuters by trade sources, India is the world’s largest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia, importing approximately 1.75 million barrels per day from January to June this year, a 1% increase from the same period last year.
India’s foreign ministry reiterated that this arrangement is a result of global market dynamics. “India began importing oil from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict,” the spokesperson said, describing the decision as a “necessity compelled by global market situation.”
The ministry also criticised what it called hypocrisy from Western governments: “It is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia,” the spokesperson said, referring particularly to ongoing European Union transactions.
Despite India’s firm stance, Reuters reports that the country’s main refiners briefly paused Russian oil purchases last week, as discounts compared to other suppliers narrowed following Trump’s threats. Still, government officials in India have denied any formal policy change, regardless of the threat of tariffs. According to four trade sources, India’s largest refiner- Indian Oil Corp- has instead purchased 7 million barrels of crude from the United States, Canada and the Middle East.
Tensions between the U.S. and India have also been aggravated by Trump’s claim in May that he brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. India has expressed frustration with the president’s repeated public statements taking credit for halting hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Commenting on the broader implications, Richard Rossow, head of the India programme at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump’s unpredictability poses a continuing diplomatic challenge. “India’s continued energy and defence purchases from Russia present a larger challenge, where India does not feel it can predict how the Trump administration will approach Russia from month to month,” he said.
Also read: Putin doubts potency of Trump’s ultimatum to end the war
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