Trump again threatens India with higher tariffs over Russian oil imports |
US President Donald Trump has escalated economic pressure on India, threatening to raise tariffs further if New Delhi continues purchasing crude oil from Russia. The warning, delivered aboard Air Force One, underscores Washington’s increasingly aggressive use of trade policy to enforce its geopolitical objectives, particularly its effort to isolate Moscow following the Ukraine conflict.
“They do trade. And we can raise tariffs on them very quickly, and it would be very bad for them,” Trump said, referring to India’s ongoing commercial engagement with Russia. His remarks come as the two countries remain locked in negotiations over a broader trade agreement, talks that have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.
The latest threat builds on measures already imposed in August 2025, when the United States slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods. Half of that levy-25 percentage points-was explicitly framed as a penalty for India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The Trump administration argued at the time that India’s energy trade with Moscow was helping sustain Russia’s economy and, by extension, prolonging the war in Ukraine.
Trump’s stance has been reinforced by key allies in Congress, most notably Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who has publicly credited the tariff pressure with forcing India to scale back its Russian oil purchases. According to Graham, the economic pain inflicted by Washington has already altered New Delhi’s behavior.
“I really do believe that what he did with India is the chief reason India is now buying substantially less Russian oil,” Graham told reporters. He added that Indian officials have privately acknowledged the impact of US tariffs and have sought relief from the White House.
Graham recounted a recent meeting with India’s ambassador,........