India-US Tariff War / Trump Threatens India with "Heavy Tariffs" Over Russian Oil Purchases Again

Donald Trump has once again issued a stern warning to India, stating that the nation will face "heavy tariffs" if it continues to purchase oil from Russia. The former US President's remarks come amidst Washington's ongoing efforts to pressure countries that maintain oil trade with Russia, arguing that these purchases fund Moscow's war in Ukraine. Trump asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally assured him that India would cease such imports. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump recounted, "He (Prime Minister Modi) told me, 'I'm not going to do the Russian oil thing. ' But if they keep doing it, they're going to have a big tariff. " This marks the third occasion Trump has made this specific claim regarding India's Russian oil purchases and PM Modi's alleged assurance.

India Refutes Trump's Statement

In response, India has explicitly refuted Trump's claims, while the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a press conference, stated that it was "unaware of any such conversation" between Prime Prime Minister Modi and Donald Trump. The MEA further clarified that while discussions on energy cooperation between India and the US are ongoing, it didn't confirm Trump's assertion that New Delhi had agreed to halt Russian oil purchases. The ministry emphasized that "ensuring stable energy prices and secure supply have been the twin objectives of our energy policy. Trump had previously imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India for Russian oil purchases, bringing the total tariff to 50 percent. While India has described these tariffs as 'unfair', the Trump administration has defended its actions.