Trump Criticizes India Over Russian Oil Purchases, Vows to Raise Tariffs

Trump Warns of '25% Plus' High Tariffs on Social Media
Pressures Russia for Ceasefire by Threatening 'Secondary Tariffs'

U.S. President Donald Trump warned on the 4th (local time) that he would "significantly increase tariffs" on imports from India, pointing out India's large-scale purchases of Russian oil.

AP Yonhap News

President Trump stated on his own social networking service, Truth Social, "India is not only purchasing Russian oil in large quantities, but is also reselling much of it on the open market for substantial profits."

He continued, "While countless people are losing their lives in Ukraine due to Russia's war machine, India is showing no concern at all. In response, I will significantly raise tariffs on India."

Previously, on July 30, President Trump had raised the same issue regarding India, stating that he would impose additional penalties on top of the 25% reciprocal tariff. His remarks on this day, made just before the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on August 7 and amid stalled trade negotiations with India, are interpreted as increasing pressure on India by suggesting the possibility of additional tariffs beyond the previously announced 25%.

In addition, by warning of a "secondary tariff" on buyers of Russian oil, Trump is also pressuring Russia to take a more active role in ceasefire negotiations related to the war in Ukraine.

On July 28, President Trump warned Russian President Vladimir Putin, "I will set a new deadline about 10 to 12 days from today," and stated that if a peace agreement with Ukraine is not reached within the next two weeks, secondary tariffs would be imposed. He moved up the original ceasefire negotiation deadline from September 2 to around August 9, urging Russia to respond more swiftly.

India immediately pushed back.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated, "Targeting India is neither justified nor reasonable," and explained that "after the Ukraine conflict, existing supplies were redirected to Europe, which led India to begin importing oil from Russia." The ministry further argued that the import of Russian oil is "intended to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs for Indian consumers," and that "this is an unavoidable measure in response to global market conditions."