White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US President Donald Trump imposed several measures, including secondary tariffs on India, to help end the war in Ukraine.
She emphasized during a press briefing, “The President has put tremendous public pressure to bring this war to a close. He has taken actions as you’ve seen, sanctions on India and other actions as well. He has made himself very clear that he wants to see this war end and has rejected ideas that we should wait another month before any meetings take place.”
Leavitt added that Trump wants to move quickly to end the conflict. This statement followed Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Tuesday. Trump called the meeting “very successful,” while Zelenskyy described it as his “best conversation” with the US President so far.
US Official Criticizes India’s Russian Oil Trade
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained why China has not faced penalties for buying Russian oil, while India has been targeted. He said India profited heavily from reselling Russian oil. Bessent stated that India initially sourced less than 1% of its oil from Russia, but this rose to 42%. He claimed India earned $16 billion in excess profits, benefiting some of the wealthiest families in the country. “This is just unacceptable,” he said, calling India’s actions “profiteering.”
Similarly, White House trade advisor Peter Navarro criticized India for buying Russian energy and defense equipment. He said India’s trade with Russia undermines global efforts to isolate the Russian economy. Navarro wrote in the Financial Times, “As Russia continues to hammer Ukraine, helped by India’s financial support, American (and European) taxpayers are forced to spend tens of billions more to help Ukraine’s defense. Meanwhile, India blocks American exports with high tariffs and trade barriers.”
Trump Highlights Impact of Tariffs
Trump previously told Fox News Radio that his tariff on India encouraged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him. He explained that doubling India’s tariffs essentially stopped the country from buying oil from Russia. India is the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian oil, approaching China’s purchase volume. Trump said India had been “fueling the war machine” before the additional 25% levy brought its total tariff to 50%.