Moscow has stepped in to defend New Delhi’s right to trade with Russia, with the Kremlin calling US President Donald Trump’s threats of revised tariffs on India “illegal.” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that “sovereign countries should have and do have the right to choose their own trading partners” and that any pressure to cut ties with Russia is unacceptable.
The controversy was sparked by a social media post from Trump, who accused India of purchasing large quantities of Russian oil and reselling it for a profit. He linked this trade to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and threatened to “substantially” raise tariffs on Indian goods, a measure that would compound the existing 25% tariffs that were imposed on August 1.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded with a strong-worded statement of its own. It accused the US and the European Union of unfairly targeting New Delhi and declared that India would “take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”
The diplomatic exchange underscores the growing geopolitical tensions between the US and the Russia-India partnership. Russia’s public support for India reinforces their close ties and a shared commitment to resisting what they view as Washington’s attempts to use its economic leverage to dictate the foreign policy of other sovereign nations.
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