August 17, 2025

US President Donald Trump sparked a fiery debate over Russian oil imports but then cooled things down after his secretive meet with Vladimir Putin in chilly Alaska. Trump had earlier threatened to slap “secondary tariffs” on the biggest buyers of Russia’s discounted crude — China and India — aiming to choke Moscow’s war funds amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. India, a top buyer, faced a sharp double whammy earlier this month when Trump hiked duties on Indian goods up to 50 percent, adding a 25 percent tariff for New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases starting August 27. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that if the Alaska summit didn’t end the Ukraine war, tariffs could rise further. But on the Air Force One flight to Alaska, Trump was in no rush to flex his tariff muscles. He called the secondary tariffs "very devastating" especially for China and appeared hesitant, saying, "If I have to do it, I'll do it. Maybe I won't have to do it." He also noted Russia “already lost an oil client” in India, hinting the situation might be changing. After nearly three hours with Putin, Trump hailed the summit as a "great and very successful day" — though no immediate ceasefire was agreed, as Moscow insists Kyiv must sign a full peace deal first. In a post-meeting chat with Fox’s Hannity, Trump said he would hold back on hurting China with more tariffs because they made progress in talks. India was not mentioned then. Trump shared, "Because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that now. I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now." India, needing cheaper oil to fuel its growing economy, has been buying nearly a third of its crude from Russia at discounted prices since the Ukraine war started in early 2022. New Delhi protests the hypocrisy of US sanctions on its oil imports while America still buys other Russian items like uranium and fertilizers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government slammed the tariffs as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" and promised to fight to protect India’s interests. Meanwhile, China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil, and raising US tariffs could shatter a fragile trade truce aiming to calm tensions between the two superpowers. The Alaska meetings, full of drama and surprises, have set the stage for what could be a roller-coaster of trade and political moves ahead.

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Tags: Donald trump, Secondary tariffs, Russian oil, India, China, Ukraine war,