Trump threatens India high punitive tariffs because it buys Russian oil

US President Donald Trump threatened high punitive tariffs against India for the purchase of Russian oil. India buy “huge amounts of Russian oil” and then sell it with “big winnings on the open market”, Trump wrote on Monday on his online platform Truth Social. “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are killed by the Russian war machine.”

“That is why I will increase the tariffs paid by India to the USA,” Trump continued. The US President did not name an exact number.

The government in Neu-Delhi rejected the procedure against India as “unjustified and inappropriate”. The spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said: “Like every large economy, India will take all the necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security.” He did not give details.

After the beginning of the Ukraine War in 2022, India started importing large amounts of oil from Russia because “traditional” suppliers had increasingly supplied Europe, said Jaiswal. Washington “actively” supported this at the time.

Trump had already announced import duties for imports from India in the amount of 25 percent. At the same time, he threatened even higher tariffs because the country continues to buy cheap Russian oil and gas as well as weapons regardless of the war against Ukraine. The threat of around 100 percent tariffs is in the room. Other Russian trading partners such as China and Brazil could also be affected by these so -called secondary sanctions.

Trump had sparked a customs conflict with trading partners all over the world at the beginning of April. He announced high imports for numerous countries, but then lowered them to ten percent to lead negotiations. On Thursday, higher tariffs should come into force for dozens of trading partners, including India.

The Indian and the US government negotiated for a long time about an agreement in the trade dispute, but could not communicate. In particular, India did not want to open its market entirely to agricultural products from the USA.

In the Ukraine War, Trump had approached the Russian positions after taking office in January. After his appeals for a ceasefire with Russian President Vladimir Putin did not fruit, he tightened the tone towards Russia.

Last Tuesday, Trump set the tour in Moscow ten days to end the attacks on Ukraine. After the deadline on Friday, Washington will face new sanctions. Previously, the US specialist Steve Witkoff is expected in Moscow.