President Donald Trump walks toward members of the media as he departs the White House on August 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
NEW DELHI – United States President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to substantially raise tariffs on India for buying Russian oil, alleging that New Delhi is reselling it on the open market for significant profits.
In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said, “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.”
Reiterating his administration’s accusation that New Delhi is financing Russia’s war in Ukraine by purchasing oil and military equipment from the Kremlin, Trump added, “They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA.”
His latest tariff warning comes just days after he imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty related to its trade with Russia.
On Saturday, Trump had claimed that he had heard India would stop purchasing Russian crude oil. However, Indian government sources swiftly refuted this, clarifying that Indian refiners would continue to buy oil from Russia. The decision, they said, is driven by economic considerations, including price, crude grade, and logistical factors.
Government officials also outlined the rationale behind India’s continued energy ties with Russia, noting that Russia is the world’s second-largest crude oil producer, with an output of about 9.5 million barrels per day (nearly 10% of global supply), and the second-largest exporter, supplying roughly 4.5 million barrels per day of crude and 2.3 million barrels per day of refined products.
Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated India’s stance, saying energy sourcing decisions are based on market dynamics and national interest.
“As far as sourcing India’s energy requirements is concerned, we take decisions based on the price at which oil is available in the international market and depending on the global situation at that time,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly press briefing. He declined to comment when asked specifically about Trump’s claim.
