Washington, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday launched a scathing attack on India over its oil trade with Russia, accusing New Delhi of aiding Moscow’s war machine while profiting from global sales. In a post on his social media platform, Trump warned of a significant increase in tariffs on Indian goods entering the U.S.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian oil, they are then, for much of the oil purchased, selling it on the open market for big profits,” the post read. Trump alleged that India’s actions show indifference to the ongoing violence in Ukraine, where Russian military operations continue to claim civilian lives.
“They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine,” Trump said, blaming India for enabling Moscow through continued oil purchases and resale. “Because of this, I will be substantially raising the tariff paid by India to the USA,” he announced, without detailing which sectors would be affected or when the new tariffs would be implemented.
The post, made at 8:20 PM Eastern Time, swiftly went viral on social media, sparking fresh debate over India’s foreign policy and energy strategy. It also comes at a time when New Delhi has defended its Russian oil imports as a necessary economic step to manage domestic fuel prices amid global inflation.
India is one of the largest importers of Russian crude oil since the beginning of the Ukraine war in 2022. While it maintains that its dealings are strictly commercial and within international law, Western countries — especially the U.S. — have expressed growing concerns about the indirect support this trade may provide to Russia.
This sharp rebuke by Trump signals a potential escalation in U.S.-India trade tensions, even as the two countries have been strengthening ties in defense and technology sectors in recent years.
There has been no official response yet from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
