Trump imposes tariffs on India over Russia trade

US President Donald Trump has announced that India will face 25% tariffs and additional penalties starting next month over its continued trade with Russia. The move comes after Trump gave Russia a ten-day deadline to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.

In a post on his Truth Social account on Wednesday, Trump stated that “India is our friend” but that the US does “relatively little business with them.” At the same time, he noted that India has continued to buy military equipment and energy from Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.

”All things not good! India will therefore be paying a tariff of 25%, plus a penalty for the above, starting on August first,” Trump wrote.

The US previously imposed 26% tariffs on Indian goods in March as part of Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, which included imports of aluminum, steel, and derivative products, before temporarily suspending them.

New Delhi has said it will only enter into a trade agreement with the US from a position of strength and not under deadlines or as a “negotiation tool.”

Earlier this week, Trump changed his deadline for a Ukraine settlement from 50 days to just ten days, threatening to impose up to 100% tariffs on Russia’s trading partners unless Moscow reaches a peace deal with Kiev.

Russia has repeatedly stated that it is willing to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict but has rejected Trump’s ultimatum, calling it harmful to peace efforts. Russian officials have stressed that any negotiations must be based on realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said earlier this month that no additional pressure would derail Russia’s pursuit of its national interests and movement “along our independent, sovereign, and sustained path.”

Trump has admitted that he is unsure if additional restrictions on Russia and its trading partners would work. It “may or may not affect them [Russia],” the US president told reporters on Tuesday.