Trump threatens ‘massive tariffs’ on India over Russian oil purchases; New Delhi rejects his claim of talks with PM Modi
PTC Web Desk: US President Donald Trump has once again claimed that India has agreed to limit its purchases of Russian oil, warning that New Delhi could face “massive tariffs” if it fails to comply.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.” He repeated a similar statement he made last week, insisting that India had promised to reduce imports from Moscow.
However, the Indian government has rejected Trump’s claim, saying no such conversation took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US leader. In a brief response, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it was “not aware of any recent telephonic conversation” between the two leaders and emphasised that India’s priority was to protect the interests of Indian consumers.
When asked about India’s denial, Donald Trump responded, “If they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
The US has already imposed steep tariffs on a wide range of Indian goods, including a 50 per cent general tariff and a 25 per cent penalty for countries conducting transactions with Russia. Trump said these duties could remain or even increase unless India reduces its crude imports from Moscow.
India has emerged as the largest buyer of seaborne Russian oil, purchasing discounted crude since Western nations imposed sanctions on Moscow after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A White House official recently said India had halved its Russian oil imports, though Indian sources dispute this claim. They said no immediate cut was visible, as refiners had already placed orders for November and December deliveries.
According to data firm Kpler, India’s imports of Russian oil are expected to rise by around 20 per cent in October, reaching about 1.9 million barrels per day. The increase comes as Russia boosts its exports following Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.
Trump has repeatedly warned that if India continues trading oil with Russia, he would not hesitate to raise tariffs further, arguing that such purchases indirectly fund Moscow’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
- With inputs from agencies
