On Monday, President Donald Trump warned that the customs tariff for Indian goods would increase “in a large” response to New Delhi’s Imports of Russian oil. India rejected criticism, described this unjustified move and pledged to protect its economic interests.
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The United States is currently imposing a 25 % tariff on Indian imports, which were presented last week, but Trump suggested more imminent height. “India buys huge quantities of Russian oil and many of them are reselling in the open market for great profits. They do not care about the number of people in Ukraine killing the Russian war machine,” Trump said of the social truth.
Indian officials said the country will continue to buy Russian oil despite the threat of customs tariffs, noting the need to secure energy at reasonable prices for its residents. “The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” said an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman, adding that the energy decisions in India are driven by the global market conditions.
India began to increase Russian oil imports in 2022 after European buyers convert their supply lines due to the Ukrainian conflict. New Delhi confirmed that she is behaving in its interests of energy security and noticed that Western countries, including the European Union, maintains significant trade relations with Russia.
The conflict comes amid wider tensions between Washington and New Delhi, including disputes over the role of India in the emerging economy group in India, which Trump described as “hostile to the United States”
Trump’s recent comments also follow his public demands for the last ceasefire between India and Pakistan-which is a confirmation that India rejected, in Egypt as participating with Islamabad directly without the third-party mediation.
Despite the tensions, Washington has not yet ended a commercial agreement with India, noting the unnamed geopolitical issues. India said it would take “all necessary measures” to protect its national interests, while continuing talks.
