India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to the announcement by US President Donald Trump of a 25% tariff on Indian imports, reaffirming the strength and resilience of India-US ties despite the new trade measure.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the bilateral relationship between India and the United States has “weathered many transitions and challenges” and remains anchored in shared interests and mutual respect.

He highlighted that defence ties between the two nations have been strengthening over the last several years and expressed the potential for this partnership to grow further under the substantive agenda that both countries have committed to. The MEA expressed confidence that the relationship will continue to move forward despite the tariffs and other differences.

Jaiswal also clarified India’s energy and defence sourcing policies in response to Trump’s specific criticism of India’s continued purchases of oil and military equipment from Russia. He said that India’s sourcing decisions are “determined solely by our national security imperatives and strategic assessments” and that the energy procurement is guided by global market availability and prevailing circumstances.

The India-Russia partnership was described as steady and time-tested, and the MEA emphasized that bilateral ties should not be viewed through the prism of any third country. India has steadily diversified defence purchases beyond Russia in recent years but still depends significantly on legacy Russian supplies.

The MEA also reaffirmed that ongoing negotiations with the US seek to conclude a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial bilateral trade deal. The government said it is studying the implications of the tariff announcement carefully but remains committed to advancing the trade agreement discussions.

Despite President Trump’s imposition of 25% tariffs and accompanying penalties related to India’s ties with Russia, the MEA message was one of diplomatic pragmatism and confidence in the long-term strength and potential of the India-US partnership across defence, trade, and strategic domains.

India underscored its sovereign right to determine defence and energy sourcing in line with national interests and continued to focus on substantive bilateral engagement rather than public acrimony.

Agencies