US President Donald Trump strongly criticized India for buying oil from Russia during the ongoing war in Ukraine on Monday, August 4. He claimed that India was making large profits by reselling this oil in international markets.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform.
He also blamed Indian leaders for ignoring the suffering of Ukrainians. “Indian leadership does not care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” he added. Trump then warned, “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA.”
Tariffs could rise soon
Trump did not mention the exact hike. However, sources familiar with the matter said that the current 10% tariff on many Indian products could rise to 25% by Thursday, August 7.
This step is part of Trump’s broader plan to pressure Russia. He has also warned of new sanctions if Russia fails to make progress toward peace with Ukraine by Friday.
India defends its oil imports
India has responded to criticism from the U.S. and the European Union about its oil trade with Russia. Officials explained that India started buying oil from Russia after the war began because traditional suppliers redirected shipments to Europe.
An official statement said, “India began importing from Russia because traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. The United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability.”
India points out Western hypocrisy
India also highlighted that countries blaming it are still trading with Russia. “The European Union in 2024 had a bilateral trade of Euro 67.5 billion in goods with Russia,” the statement noted.
India further pointed out that the United States continues to buy several key items from Russia, including “uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilisers as well as chemicals.”
Based on this, New Delhi concluded, “the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable.”