Trump threatens additional tariffs on India over Russia oil purchase
"India 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. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine," Trump said.
- Aug 4, 2025,
- Updated Aug 4, 2025 8:40 PM IST
US President Donald Trump has warned of steep new tariffs on India over its continued purchase and resale of Russian crude oil. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused India of profiting from the war in Ukraine and announced his intention to impose punitive trade measures.
"India 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... I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," Trump wrote.
On July 30, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports starting August 1, with an additional unspecified “penalty” tied to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and military supplies. The tariff deadline has since been deferred to August 7.
India finds itself in a diplomatic tightrope walk following the threat, particularly as it remains firm on its oil procurement strategy. When asked about a potential halt, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India determines its energy sources “based on the price at which oil is available in the international market and depending on the global situation at that time.”
Russia, now India’s top oil supplier, expanded its share dramatically since the Ukraine conflict began — rising from under 100,000 barrels a day pre-war (2.5% of imports) to 1.8 million barrels a day in 2023, comprising 39% of India’s crude intake. According to the International Energy Agency, 70% of Russia’s crude exports went to India in 2024.
Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri defended the imports, saying they contributed to global price stability and were initially backed by Washington.
Global sanctions have capped Russian oil prices at $60 per barrel since December 2022, while the EU pushed the cap further down to just above $47 in July.
US President Donald Trump has warned of steep new tariffs on India over its continued purchase and resale of Russian crude oil. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused India of profiting from the war in Ukraine and announced his intention to impose punitive trade measures.
"India 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... I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA," Trump wrote.
On July 30, Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian imports starting August 1, with an additional unspecified “penalty” tied to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and military supplies. The tariff deadline has since been deferred to August 7.
India finds itself in a diplomatic tightrope walk following the threat, particularly as it remains firm on its oil procurement strategy. When asked about a potential halt, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India determines its energy sources “based on the price at which oil is available in the international market and depending on the global situation at that time.”
Russia, now India’s top oil supplier, expanded its share dramatically since the Ukraine conflict began — rising from under 100,000 barrels a day pre-war (2.5% of imports) to 1.8 million barrels a day in 2023, comprising 39% of India’s crude intake. According to the International Energy Agency, 70% of Russia’s crude exports went to India in 2024.
Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri defended the imports, saying they contributed to global price stability and were initially backed by Washington.
Global sanctions have capped Russian oil prices at $60 per barrel since December 2022, while the EU pushed the cap further down to just above $47 in July.