Russia defends India's right to select trade partners

Russia Tuesday said sovereign countries have the right to select their partners in trade and economic cooperation based on their interests, a day after President Donald Trump threatened to "substantially" raise US tariffs on India for buying Russian oil.

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"We believe that sovereign countries must have and do have the right to choose their trade partners, the partners in trade and economic cooperation, on their own and independently determine those modes of trade and economic cooperation that suit the interests of a country in question," Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, commenting on the US' threats regarding India.

President Trump Monday said he will "substantially" raise US tariffs on India, accusing it of buying massive amounts of Russian oil and selling it for big profits.