During a recent press conference at the White House, US President Donald Trump claimed that his administration’s tariffs on Indian goods, imposed in response to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil, have had a significant impact on Russia’s economy.
Referring to India as Russia’s “largest or second-largest oil buyer,” the president stated that Russia’s economy is currently “not doing well” and that penalising a major trading partner with a 50% tariff has dealt a “big blow” to Moscow. The remarks come ahead of a planned summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15th August (Friday), where a peace deal for the Ukraine conflict is expected to be a primary topic.The Indian government has publicly described the US tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable,” reiterating that its oil imports are driven by national energy security needs. The Kremlin has also responded to the pressure by stating that sovereign nations have the right to choose their own trading partners.
