More India Tariffs: Trump's Unjustified Attack: India

US President targets India for Russian oil purchases; Delhi cites national interest

- Dhirendra Kumar

US President Donald Trump on Monday warned India of higher tariffs for buying Russian oil, drawing a spirited response from New Delhi. The development comes days after Trump declared 25% tariffs on Indian goods starting August 7, plus an unspecified penalty for ties to Russia.

"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," Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. "They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA," Trump said.

In response, New Delhi said the targeting of India was "unjustified and unreasonable." Like any major economy, India would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.

"The United States itself continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear sector, palladium for EVs, fertilizers and chemicals from Russia," the ministry said.

The statement noted that India's Russian oil purchases were driven by a need to secure affordable and reliable energy after traditional suppliers shifted exports to Europe at the start of the Ukraine conflict. "At the time, the US had actively encouraged India's oil imports from Russia to help stabilize global markets," it added.