In a series of fiery remarks and policy announcements, U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that India has reportedly stopped buying oil from Russia — a move he tentatively praised — while simultaneously announcing new tariffs and harsh criticism of India's trade and military ties with Moscow.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, "Well, I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step. We'll see what happens." However, he did not provide concrete evidence or cite any official confirmation regarding the claim.
These comments follow closely on the heels of a sweeping executive order from the White House that imposes new tariffs on exports from around 70 countries. India is among the nations affected, with a 25% tariff set to take effect from August 1. The order, however, stops short of detailing any specific penalties related to India’s past oil and military purchases from Russia — a point Trump continues to emphasize.
In response to the reports about India ceasing oil imports from Russia, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing, "As far as sourcing India's energy requirements is concerned, we take decisions based on the price at which oil is available in the international market and depending on the global situation at that time. As for the specifics of your particular question, I am not aware of it. I don't have details of these specifics."
Trump, who has frequently lashed out at India’s trade policies, repeated his longstanding complaints about what he described as unfair practices. “India is our friend, but we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the world, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country,” he said.
He also took aim at India’s longstanding defense relationship with Russia, stating, “They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia and are Russia’s largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine — All things not good!”
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump went even further, writing, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way.”
These strong remarks signal a sharp turn in Trump's narrative toward India, a country he once praised for its partnership with the U.S. during his presidency. With the U.S. presidential elections on the horizon, Trump's rhetoric appears to be aligning with his "America First" approach, targeting countries he accuses of exploiting American trade and security partnerships.
