Ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Monday claimed that US tariffs on India for buying Russian oil have delivered a “big blow” to Moscow’s economy, calling New Delhi one of Russia’s “largest or second largest oil buyers.”
Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump said Russia’s economy was “not doing well” and had been “very well disturbed” by the combined effect of American trade duties and global pressures.
“I think Russia has to get back into building their country. It’s a massive country… They have tremendous potential in Russia to do well,” he said. “They’re not doing well right now because it’s been very well disturbed by this,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
The president pointed directly to India’s energy purchases from Russia as a pressure point.
“Doesn’t help when the President of the United States tells their largest or second-largest oil buyer that we’re putting a 50% tariff on you if you buy oil from Russia. That was a big blow,” Trump said, in an apparent reference to India.
Trump administration has imposed 25% reciprocal tariffs on India, plus an additional 25% levy on its purchases of Russian oil — a total 50% tariff.
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