Since the beginning of the war, India has significantly increased its crude oil purchases, generating substantial revenue for the Kremlin
India, the world's third-largest oil importer, has maintained a neutral and pragmatic stance regarding the conflict in Ukraine. In that context, it drastically increased its purchases of Russian crude: it went from acquiring less than 2% of its imports from Russia to more than a third (33%), making Moscow its main supplier, driven by the attractive discounts offered by the Kremlin.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Monday his decision to increase tariffs applied to exports from India, in response to what he described as a persistent purchase of "massive quantities" of Russian oil by that country.
"Therefore, I will substantially increase the tariff that India pays to the US." Trump stated through his Truth Social network, although he did not specify what the new tariff rate would be.
The Republican leader criticized that India "not only buys massive quantities of Russian oil, but also sells much of the acquired oil on the open market at great profit." He concluded with a condemnation of the Asian country's actions: "They don't care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian war machine."
As part of his trade offensive, Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on key products from India. The measure was launched due to the trade imbalances between both countries and as a punishment for the growing energy ties between New Delhi and Moscow.
Meanwhile, Trump, visibly more impatient with Russian President Vladimir Putin's refusal to end the war in Ukraine, issued a new ultimatum to the Kremlin last Tuesday: it has ten days to announce a ceasefire.
The decision to increase tariffs against India comes during a key week that could define the course of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The deadline set by Trump for the Kremlin to commit to a peace agreement is approaching.
