Stop buying Russian oil or face 'massive' tariffs: Trump threatens India

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose “massive tariffs” on Indian goods unless New Delhi halts its purchases of Russian oil, a move that has already deepened tensions between the two countries.

Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally assured him that India would stop importing Russian oil.

“He told me, ‘I’m not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,’” Trump said.

“But if they keep doing it, they’ll be paying massive tariffs.”

The remarks came amid growing US pressure on countries maintaining trade ties with Russia, particularly in energy, which Washington argues indirectly funds Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.

India is already facing steep US tariffs, with Trump having raised them to 50 percent earlier this year, targeting a broad range of Indian exports from textiles to pharmaceuticals.

Trump has repeatedly stated that those duties would remain or even increase if India does not halt Russian oil imports.

Earlier this month, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India would stop buying oil from Russia.

However, India has not commented on Trump’s claims.

India has been one of the largest buyers of Russian crude since sanctions were imposed after the Ukraine war.

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Source: TRT