On July 30–31, 2025, US President Donald Trump dramatically escalated tensions surrounding India-Russia economic and strategic relations by imposing a 25% tariff on all Indian imports effective August 1 and threatening additional penalties targeting India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and military equipment.

In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated bluntly, "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care".

"I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let's keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia, who thinks he's still President, to watch his words. He's entering very dangerous territory!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump criticised both countries for what he described as “dead economies,” indicating that the United States has done “very little business with India” because “their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world."

He expressed satisfaction that the U.S. and Russia "do almost no business together" and insisted, “Let's keep it that way,” signalling a firm stance against closer economic ties between Moscow and New Delhi .
In addition to the tariff announcement, Trump explicitly warned Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian President and Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council, to “watch his words” and warned him against entering “very dangerous territory.”

This admonition came after Medvedev accused Trump of playing an “ultimatum game” with Russia, suggesting that escalating pressure could risk war, not between Russia and Ukraine but potentially involving the United States itself .

Trump’s aggressive rhetoric coincided with his administration’s ongoing frustration over India’s strategic partnerships with Russia, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. India has notably increased its imports of Russian crude oil to about 35-40% of its total oil purchases, making it Moscow’s second-largest buyer after China, and has continued sourcing military hardware from Russia despite Western sanctions .

Trump linked these purchases directly to prolonging the war in Ukraine and used them as justification for his tariff and penalty measures.

The 25% tariff and accompanying penalties disrupt ongoing US-India trade negotiations and mark a significant toughening of Washington’s stance. Prior to these tariffs, US-India bilateral trade stood at $186 billion in 2024-25, with India holding a surplus. Trump explicitly accused India of maintaining “the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers of any country,” which he claimed discourage US companies from entering the Indian market .

Trump also criticised the BRICS grouping, of which India is a member, characterising it as an “anti-United States” alliance aimed at undermining the dollar’s role as the global reserve currency, and pledged that the US would not allow this to happen .

This hardline stance contrasts with earlier phases of Trump’s relationship with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had been relatively cordial but has since soured over trade and strategic rivalry concerns. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration reportedly has improved relations with Pakistan, announcing large oil reserve projects there, which he suggested might one day supply India, further complicating regional dynamics .

President Trump’s comments and actions represent a deliberate and public escalation of US trade and diplomatic pressure on India, focused on disentangling New Delhi from Moscow amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The imposition of tariffs and warnings to Russia's Medvedev highlight the administration’s willingness to challenge existing trade and strategic partnerships that it perceives as detrimental to US interests.

Based On ANI Report