India Pushes Back as Trump Threatens Tariffs Over Russia Oil Trade
India has strongly criticized the U.S. and EU over what it sees as hypocritical trade behavior with Russia, even as President Trump ramps up tariff threats against New Delhi. India argues that it turned to Russian oil only after Western nations diverted traditional energy supplies during the Ukraine war — and now finds itself unfairly targeted for protecting its own energy security.
The Ministry of External Affairs pointed out that while India faces 25% U.S. tariffs and the threat of more, the EU-Russia trade hit €67.5B last year — far higher than India’s $68.7B record, which only rose post-2020 from a modest $10.1B. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to import Russian uranium and palladium for its EV sector, despite public bans and criticism of others.
President Trump has accused India of funding the Ukraine war through its energy imports, and even profiting by reselling Russian oil. Yet Indian officials insist the bilateral trade with Moscow is based on longstanding ties, not geopolitics. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasized:
“Our bilateral relationships stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country.”
Former foreign secretary Shyam Saran urged India to emulate Brazil and China in standing firm against U.S. pressure, warning that Trump’s demands are both political and economically destabilizing.
As global power dynamics shift, India asserts its right to prioritize national interests — and won’t bow easily to external pressure.