Why Has Trump’s Attitude Toward India Shifted So Sharply?

Growing signs indicate that U.S.-India relations are approaching a historic low.

According to CCTV News, in response to U.S. President Trump’s threat to significantly raise tariffs on India and accusations from the U.S. and Europe that India has imported and even resold Russian oil since the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal issued a statement on the evening of August 4, saying, "The accusations against India are unfair. Like all major economies, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security."

Late last month, Trump threatened India on Truth Social: If India continues to buy Russian weapons and oil, the U.S. will impose additional punitive tariffs on top of the existing 25% import duties on Indian goods. On August 3, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Miller explained Trump’s remarks, stating that India’s oil purchases effectively fund Russia in the Ukraine conflict. On the 4th, Trump further declared he would "substantially increase tariffs on India" over its Russian oil imports.

This means that, on top of the long-stalled U.S.-India tariff negotiations, the two countries are now at odds over Russia.

"India believes the U.S. has been exerting heavy pressure in both the India-Pakistan conflict and tariff talks, leading to growing public discontent toward America. The Modi government must address these sentiments while consolidating its rule," Qian Feng, a researcher at Tsinghua University’s National Strategy Institute and senior fellow at the Taihe Institute, told The Paper.

Lin Minwang, a professor and deputy dean at Fudan University’s Institute of International Studies, told The Paper that India’s unwillingness to concede in agricultural trade negotiations has deadlocked U.S.-India trade talks. The Trump administration’s recent moves leverage Russia-India relations as a bargaining chip while simultaneously pressuring both nations.