Washington
\nIndia has called Donald Trump\u2019s threat of \u201csubstantially\u201d higher tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia \u201cunjustified and unreasonable\u201d.
\nIn a post on Truth Social, the US president warned he would raise levies, saying India \u201cdon\u2019t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine\u201d.
\nIndia is currently among the largest buyers of Russian oil. It has become an important export market for Moscow after several European countries cut trade when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
\nTrump did not specify what the new tariff would be, but it comes just days after he unveiled a hefty 25% levy on India.
\nIn a statement, a spokesperson for India\u2019s foreign ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, said the US had encouraged India to import Russian gas at the start of the conflict, \u201cfor strengthening global energy markets stability\u201d.
\nHe said India \u201cbegan importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict\u201d.
\nIndia also criticised the US – its largest trading partner – for introducing the tariffs, when the US itself is still doing trade with Russia. Last year, the US traded goods worth an estimated $3.5bn (\u00a32.6bn) with Russia, despite tough sanctions and tariffs.
\n\u201cLike any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,\u201d the foreign ministry statement said.
\n\u201cThe targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,\u201d it added.
\nLast week, Trump had described India as a \u201cfriend\u201d but said its tariffs on US products \u201care far too high\u201d and he warned of an unspecified \u201cpenalty\u201d over its trade with Russia.
\nHis latest Truth Social post again struck a critical tone.
\n\u201cIndia 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,\u201d he wrote.
\n\u201cBecause of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,\u201d he added.
\nPrime Minister Narendra Modi has not ordered India\u2019s oil refineries to stop buying Russian oil, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the situation.
\nAjay Srivastava, a former Indian trade official and head of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a Delhi-based think tank, said Trump\u2019s claims about India\u2019s oil trade with Russia are misleading for several reasons.
\nHe told the BBC that the trade has been transparent and broadly understood by the US.
\nMr Srivastava said India ramped up purchases of oil to help stabilise global markets after Western sanctions disrupted supplies – helping to stop a global oil price shock.
\nHe also said that India\u2019s oil refineries – both public and private – decide where to buy crude oil based on factors like price, supply security, and export rules. They operate independently of the government and do not need its approval to buy from Russia or other countries.
\nThough relations between the US and Russia warmed after Trump returned to the White house in January, the US president has more recently toughened his rhetoric against the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
\nTrump has questioned whether Putin is truly committed to peace with Ukraine. In Monday\u2019s Truth Social post he used stern language, describing the Russian military as the \u201cRussian War Machine\u201d.
\nRussia\u2019s leader has repeatedly said he is ready for peace but only if Kyiv meets certain conditions, such as recognising Ukrainian territories that Russia has occupied.
\nTrump has threatened Moscow with severe tariffs targeting its oil and other exports if a ceasefire with Ukraine is not agreed by 8 August.
\nUS envoy Steve Witkoff is due to visit Russia later this week, where he is expected to meet Putin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington India has called Donald Trump\u2019s threat of \u201csubstantially\u201d higher tariffs over its purchase of oil from Russia \u201cunjustified and unreasonable\u201d. In a post on Truth Social, the US president warned he would raise levies, saying India \u201cdon\u2019t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine\u201d. India is currently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-495013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n