August 15, 2025

US President Donald Trump recently dropped a bombshell, saying the tariffs he slapped on India for buying Russian oil played a big part in Russia wanting to meet with Washington! In a lively chat with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said, "I think everything has an impact." He explained that telling India, "we're going to charge you, because you're dealing with Russia and oil purchases," pretty much stopped India from buying Russian oil. That was a big blow for Moscow because India is Russia's "second largest customer," right after China, Russian oil's top buyer. Trump added, "Certainly, when you lose your second largest customer, and you're probably going to lose your first largest customer, I think that probably has a role." But hold on – India quickly fired back on the same day. The country said it has NOT stopped buying Russian oil and continues purely based on economics. AS Sahney, chairman of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), India's biggest oil firm, told reporters in New Delhi, "We continue to buy, purely based on economic considerations, that is to say if the pricing and characteristics of the crude make sense in our scheme of processing, we buy." The background drama? Last week, Trump stunned India by announcing an extra 25% tariff on US imports from India, pushing the total duty to a whacking 50%! This is a penalty for India's ongoing Russian oil imports. These tariffs will start biting from August 27. Since India exports about $40 billion worth of goods to the US without exemptions, this tariff hike shook many Indian exporters. There was a buzz about India possibly stopping or cutting down on Russian oil. But AS Sahney set the record straight: No pause on Russian oil imports! Meanwhile, India's Ministry of External Affairs slammed the US move, calling the targeting of India "unjustified and unreasonable." They warned, "Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security." Trump didn't hold back either, blaming India for "fuelling" Russia's war machine through their oil purchases. With a high-profile Trump-Putin meeting coming up this Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, all eyes are on how these oil tensions could shape US-Russia-India relations. Stay tuned, folks! The oil battle is far from over.

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Tags: Donald trump, India, Russia, Oil imports, Tariffs, Us-india relations,