US President Donald Trump has again threatened India with heavy tariffs if it continues to buy oil from Russia. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally assured him that India would stop importing Russian oil.
“He (PM Modi) told me, ‘I’m not going to be doing the Russian oil thing.’ But if they keep doing it, they’ll be paying massive tariffs,” Trump said on Sunday.
His comments followed an earlier announcement in the Oval Office, where he claimed that Modi had promised to end Russian oil purchases. Trump called this decision a “big step.”
Trump explained that “India gets roughly one-third of its oil from Russia,” and argued that such imports support Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. The White House has been increasing pressure on countries that continue to trade with Russia, saying the revenue from oil helps President Vladimir Putin prolong the conflict.
India Rejects Trump’s Statement
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) quickly dismissed Trump’s claims. During a press briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he was “unaware of any conversation” between Trump and Modi about halting Russian oil imports.
Jaiswal mentioned that energy cooperation with the United States remains ongoing but did not confirm any agreement to stop Russian oil purchases. “There are continuous talks on deepening energy ties with the United States,” he said, without revealing changes in India’s oil import policy.
Currently, India faces around a 50 percent tariff on its exports to the United States, which has delayed progress on a trade deal. Trump warned that these tariffs could increase further if India continues its Russian oil trade. “If they keep doing it, they’ll be paying massive tariffs,” he reiterated.
Trump Claims He Averted India-Pakistan Conflict
In a separate statement, Trump repeated his earlier claim that he prevented a potential war between India and Pakistan through his tariff threats. He said tensions had escalated in May, leading to the downing of “seven planes,” though he offered no evidence.
“I’ve ended, you know, eight wars that we just mentioned. Five of them have ended because of tariffs. The threat of tariffs, as an example, kept India and Pakistan–two nuclear nations–from going at it,” Trump told Fox News.
He added, “They were going at it–seven planes were shot down. That’s a lot. And they were going at it. That could have been a nuclear war.”
Trump claimed that his direct warning, including the threat of a 200 percent tariff, stopped the conflict. “I said to India and Pakistan pretty much the same thing: ‘Look, if you’re going to fight each other, I’m not going to do business with you. We’re going to put on a 200 per cent tariff. It’ll make it impossible for you to do business,’” he said.
“‘No, no, no,’ they said. And after 24 hours, I settled the war. I settled it through trade,” Trump added.
India Dismisses Trump’s War Claims
India has consistently denied Trump’s claims of mediating or resolving tensions with Pakistan. New Delhi maintains that all issues with Islamabad, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, will be handled bilaterally. The Indian government has repeatedly stated that third-party intervention is not acceptable in its disputes with Pakistan.