U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Russia has effectively lost India as a major customer for its oil, a development he attributed to the significant tariffs his administration has imposed on New Delhi. The statement comes in the wake of escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and India over the latter's continued energy trade with Moscow.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump remarked, "Well, they lost an oil client so to speak, which is India, which was doing about 40% of the oil". He also alluded to the power of further economic pressure, noting, "If I did what's called a secondary sanction, or a secondary tariff, it would be very devastating from their standpoint. If I have to do it, I'll do it. Maybe I won't have to do it".
This comment follows a recent executive order from the White House that raised the total tariff on Indian goods to 50%, directly citing India's oil imports from Russia as an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The Trump administration has been working to economically isolate Russia to pressure it toward a peace deal in Ukraine.
India's government has strongly contested the U.S. tariffs. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) labeled the move as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable," emphasizing that India's oil imports are based on market factors and are crucial for the energy security of its 1.4 billion people. New Delhi also pointed out that other nations, including some in Europe, continue to engage in similar trade with Russia.
While the tariffs have created the most significant strain in U.S.-India relations in decades, Trump's latest comments suggest a potential easing of the secondary sanctions threat, possibly creating an opening for a change in policy depending on future developments.
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