United States President Donald Trump recently discussed the budding relationship between Russia and India, calling both economies “dead.” The US President went on Truth Social on Thursday and torched India’s growing relationship with Russia.
“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care,” Trump posted. This comes a day after he announced that he would be imposing a 25% tariff on Indian imports, which is scheduled to take effect on Friday. Donald Trump mentioned that India has always leaned on Russia for weapons and fuel, saying it is a bad move. In a post by Reuters, Donald Trump also said that the US does almost no business with Russia, and very little with India. It was a direct shot at both countries, not just for how they trade, but for who they trade with.
India reacts to Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs
Hours after Trump made the tariff announcement, India reacted to the development. The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry said it had “taken note” of the announcement and was “studying its implications.” The statement also said India would “take all steps necessary to secure our national interest,” especially the interests of local farmers, entrepreneurs, and MSMEs. The government didn’t pretend this came out of nowhere. It said talks with Washington have been going on for months.
“India and the U.S. have been engaged in negotiations to conclude a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement over the last few months. We remain committed to that objective,” the ministry said. India also talked about its recent Free Trade Agreement with the UK as proof that it is not against foreign partnerships, noting that it will not just come at the cost of its domestic economy. The statement made it clear that while India is open to deals, it isn’t going to roll over when it comes to protecting its people.
Donald Trump also criticized Russia, going after former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who now serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council. Medvedev took to X (formerly Twitter) to say that Donald Trump was playing an “ultimatum game” with Moscow, warning that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with (Trump’s) own country.”
Trump fired back, expressing his disappointment that Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to end the war with Ukraine. He said the original deadline for a peace agreement was 50 days, but he is now reducing that to “10 or 12.” There was no ambiguity, as Trump believes Moscow has wasted time, and he’s not waiting around.
Meanwhile, India continues buying oil from Russia despite criticism from the West. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has defended the decision, saying the country is just trying to get the best price for its people. He also pointed to what he called hypocrisy from Europe, saying, “Europe’s problems are the world’s problems, but the world’s problems are not Europe’s problems.”
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