US President Donald Trump on Thursday remarked that while he enjoys a warm relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he did not hesitate to impose steep tariffs on India over its imports of Russian oil.
Speaking at a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Chequers in Buckinghamshire, Trump said:
“I’m very close to India. I’m very close to the Prime Minister of India. I spoke to him the other day to wish him a Happy Birthday. We have a very good relationship, and he put out a beautiful statement, too. But I sanctioned them.”
50% tariffs on India
The Trump administration recently imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports, half of which is a punitive measure tied directly to New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian crude.
Defending the move, Trump argued that lowering global oil prices is central to his strategy against Moscow.
“Very simply, if the price of oil comes down, Putin is going to drop out. He’s going to have no choice. He’s going to drop out of that war,” he said, referring to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Despite these measures, India’s Russian oil imports remain steady, underscoring New Delhi’s balancing act between strategic interests and global pressure.
Trump repeats India-Pakistan claim
At the same press event, Trump reiterated his controversial claim of intervening to pause hostilities between India and Pakistan earlier this year.
Referring to Operation Sindoor, Trump said he “stopped the war,” despite New Delhi’s repeated denials of any third-party involvement. India has consistently maintained that the ceasefire followed a direct request from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart.
Trump insisted:
“We did seven (conflicts) and most of them were not thought to be settleable. We did India, and we did Pakistan. That’s two nuclear (countries).”