India has strongly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose significantly higher tariffs in response to New Delhi’s continued imports of Russian oil, calling the move “unjustified and unreasonable.”
Trump issued the warning in a Truth Social post on Monday, accusing India of ignoring the human toll of the war in Ukraine. “India don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” he wrote, adding that he would be “substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
India, now one of the largest buyers of Russian crude, became a major customer after Europe slashed purchases following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The U.S. leader’s remarks come just days after he imposed a 25% duty on Indian goods.
Responding to the escalation, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said Washington had initially supported India’s imports of Russian gas during the early phase of the conflict “for strengthening global energy markets stability.”
“India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict,” Jaiswal said. He also noted that the U.S., despite its sanctions, traded an estimated $3.5 billion worth of goods with Russia last year.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the ministry said, criticizing the White House for its inconsistent approach. “The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable.”
Last week, Trump called India a “friend” but took aim at its high tariffs on American products. His latest message again took a confrontational tone, claiming India not only buys large volumes of Russian oil but also resells it for profit. “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” he wrote.
Despite the pressure, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not instructed the country’s refineries to halt Russian purchases, according to Bloomberg sources. India’s oil firms—both private and state-owned—are free to source crude based on market dynamics and are not bound by government mandates.
Ajay Srivastava, head of the Global Trade Research Initiative and a former Indian trade official, said Trump’s narrative distorts the facts. “India’s oil trade with Russia has been transparent and known to the U.S.,” he said. “The purchases helped avoid a major spike in global prices after Western sanctions disrupted supplies.”
Meanwhile, Trump has recently hardened his rhetoric against the Kremlin. Although U.S.–Russia ties initially improved after Trump returned to the White House in January, he has now threatened severe penalties unless a Ukraine ceasefire is reached by August 8.
He described Russia’s military as the “Russian War Machine” in his latest social media post, questioning whether President Vladimir Putin truly wants peace. Putin has said talks are possible if Ukraine concedes occupied territories, a stance Kyiv has rejected.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to travel to Moscow this week, where he is expected to hold talks with the Russian president.
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