“India Is Selling Russian Oil for Big Profits” – Trump Warns of Steep Tariff Hike on India Over Ukraine War Stance

Washington, D.C: In a fiery statement posted on Truth Social, former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced his intention to substantially increase tariffs on India, accusing the country of profiting from Russia’s war in Ukraine through open-market oil sales.

“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,” Trump wrote. “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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!! President DJT,” he added.

This statement follows Trump’s earlier warning last week where he said he would impose a 25% tariff on goods imported from India, citing India’s continued trade ties with Moscow. He also mentioned that India would face an additional, unspecified penalty, though details of that action remain unclear.

Despite mounting pressure from Washington, sources in the Indian government told Reuters that the country has no plans to halt crude oil imports from Russia, asserting that national interest and energy security remain the top priorities. India has consistently maintained that its energy purchases are within international law and driven by economic pragmatism.

Responding to a question on Saturday about India’s Russian oil imports, Trump had appeared uncertain, saying, “I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That’s what I heard. I don’t know if that’s right or not, but that’s a good step.”