Russia’s reaction to US announcement of additional tariffs on India

US President Donald Trump has announced in an interview to CNBC that he will revise the previously set 25 percent tariff on India to “significantly” increase it in the next 24 hours. According to Trump, these additional duties are being imposed on India for buying Russian oil and allegedly “fueling the Russian war machine”.

The Indian government has described this proposed action as “unwarranted and unwise”. The spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs clarified that India started importing oil from Russia when traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the Ukraine conflict. The ministry also mentioned that at that time the US itself encouraged such imports by India for the stability of global energy markets.

Russia has also supported India in this matter and termed the US pressure tactics as “illegal”. President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS, “Sovereign countries should have the right to choose their trading partners and determine economic cooperation arrangements in their national interest.”

The Indian government has made it clear that it, like other major economies, will “take all necessary steps to protect its national interests and economic security.” Analysts believe the dispute could adversely impact bilateral trade relations and escalate global trade tensions.