US-India Tensions Escalate!

US President Trump threatened again on Tuesday to significantly raise tariffs on India, marking a further escalation in tensions between the two countries.

According to reports from CCTV and other media outlets, on August 5 local time, President Trump stated in an interview that, given India’s continued purchases of Russian oil, he would "substantially" increase tariffs on Indian exports to the US within the next 24 hours. The current tariff rate stands at 25%.

"They are fueling the war machine, and if they keep doing that, I won’t be happy," Trump said. He added that the main sticking point with India was its high tariffs.

"Now, I will say, India’s tariffs have come down from historic highs. They’ll give us zero tariffs, they’ll let us in (the market). But it’s not good enough because of what they’re doing with oil—it’s bad."

Trump’s threats against India over its Russian oil purchases began on July 31, when he announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods, along with other punitive measures.

The day before (August 4), Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, claiming that India not only buys large quantities of Russian oil but also resells much of it on the open market for huge profits. As a result, he vowed to significantly increase tariffs on Indian imports to the US.

In response, India’s Foreign Ministry stated that India was being unfairly criticized for its Russian oil purchases. In a statement issued late Monday, the ministry said, "Countries criticizing India are also engaging in trade with Russia," and "singling out India is unreasonable."

The ministry noted that the EU’s trade with Russia in 2024 reached €67.5 billion ($78 billion), including record imports of 16.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas. It also pointed out that the US continues to import uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear power industry, palladium, fertilizers, and chemicals from Russia, though it did not disclose the source of this trade data.

India is the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, with over one-third of its oil needs met by Russia. Data shows that from January to June this year, India imported about 1.75 million barrels of Russian oil per day, up 1% year-on-year.

Two government sources said India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval may visit Russia as planned this week, while Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to travel to Russia in the coming weeks.