Trump, after meeting Putin in Alaska, said tariffs on India over Russian oil may be reconsidered in two-three weeks. He called India a “lost oil client” for Moscow, leaving New Delhi unsure if the 50% duties due August 27 will be lifted or enforced.
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has not committed to lifting or enforcing tariffs on India despite strong hints earlier, leaving New Delhi uncertain about what comes next. His remarks came shortly after a nearly three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska that ended without any breakthrough on Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News after the talks, Trump said the tariff issue could be reconsidered “in two or three weeks,” but added that he does not need to take any immediate decision. Calling the summit “very productive,” Trump avoided spelling out whether penalties on countries purchasing Russian crude, including India, would be rolled back or tightened. The US had already slapped a total of 50% duty on Indian goods this summer, citing India’s continued import of discounted Russian oil. The next round of tariffs is due on August 27, unless Trump changes course.
‘No Deal Until There Is A deal’
Trump underlined India’s importance in Russia’s energy trade, noting that Moscow had effectively “lost an oil client” in New Delhi, which he claimed accounted for nearly 40% of Russian crude sales. “Well, they lost an oil client so to speak, which is India, which was doing about 40% of the oil. China, as you know, is doing a lot…And if I did what’s called a secondary sanction, or a secondary tariff, it would be very devastating from their standpoint. If I have to do it, I’ll do it. Maybe I won’t have to do it,” he told Fox News.
Earlier, India had defended buying oil from Russia, stressing that energy purchases are driven by economic needs and affordability. New Delhi has maintained that ties with Washington are much broader than trade disputes and should not be viewed through the lens of its relations with Moscow. For now, Trump’s mixed signals mean India will have to wait. The Alaska summit may have helped Putin regain some diplomatic space, but it offered New Delhi no clarity on whether tariffs will be scrapped, delayed, or enforced as planned.
After an abrupt ending to three hours of talks with aides, Trump and Putin offered warm words but took no questions from reporters, highly unusual for the media-savvy US president. “We’re not there yet, but we’ve made progress. There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said. “There are just a very few that are left, some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant,” Trump said without elaborating.
Putin also spoke in general terms of cooperation in a joint press appearance that lasted just 12 minutes. “We hope that the understanding we have reached will… pave the way for peace in Ukraine,” Putin said. As Trump mused about a second meeting, Putin smiled and said in English: “Next time in Moscow.” The former KGB agent quickly tried to flatter Trump, who has voiced admiration for the Russian leader in the past. Putin told Trump he agreed with him that the Ukraine war, which Putin ordered, would not have happened if Trump were president instead of Joe Biden. Trump for his part again complained of a “hoax” that Russia intervened to help him the 2016 election, a finding backed by US intelligence. The friendly reception was a stark contrast to Trump’s berating of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he met him at the White House in February. Trump earlier said he sought a three-way meeting with Zelensky but did not announce one at the summit.