President Donald Trump has recently turned his focus towards India. On Wednesday, September 3rd, Trump stated that he had initiated preliminary sanctions against India for purchasing Russian oil, hinting at the possibility of further sanctions. He claimed this move had already cost Moscow hundreds of billions of dollars and warned that “phase two” and “phase three” sanctions were still under consideration.
Trump’s remarks were made during a bilateral meeting with Polish President Karol Navrocki in the Oval Office. Trump appeared visibly annoyed when a Polish journalist questioned him about not taking action against Russian President Vladimir Putin despite expressing his displeasure. The journalist pointed out that while Trump had voiced frustration with Putin, he had not taken any action. This prompted Trump’s reaction.
“How do you know there was no action?” Trump asked the journalist. “Would you say that imposing secondary sanctions on India, which is the largest buyer outside of China, is almost equivalent? Would you say there was no action? It has cost Russia hundreds of billions of dollars. You wouldn’t call that no action? And I haven’t even finished phase two or three yet. But when you say no action, I think you should get a new job.”
Trump further stated that his warning to India was clear. He said, “Two weeks ago, I said that if India buys oil, it will have big problems, and that’s what happened. So don’t tell me about it.”
Responding to a question about Putin’s appearance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a military parade in Beijing, and the question of imposing secondary sanctions on Moscow, Trump stated that his government had already taken steps against Moscow by imposing sanctions on India. He said, “I have already done that in relation to India, and we are doing that in relation to other things as well.”
He noted that India is the largest purchaser of Russian oil after China and suggested that India might face further penalties if it continues to import energy from Moscow. While the US has temporarily postponed additional tariffs on China until November, heavy tariffs have been imposed on India. Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff on India and an additional 25 percent tariff on India’s purchase of Russian oil. These new measures, effective August 27, have effectively doubled the duties on Indian goods, bringing the total tariff to 50 percent.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that he cannot compromise the interests of farmers, livestock keepers, and small industries. He warned that pressure might increase, but they will endure it. India has called the tariffs imposed by the US unfair. India asserts that, like any major economy, it will take all necessary steps to protect its national interests and economic security.