US President Donald Trump said imposing tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil is “not an easy thing to do” as it creates tensions between the two countries.
“Look, India was their biggest customer. I put a 50 per cent tariff on India because they're buying oil from Russia. That's not an easy thing to do. That's a big deal, and it causes a rift with India,” Trump said in an interview with Fox and Friends on Friday, when asked what clamping down on Russian President Vladimir Putin entails.
"But I've already done it. I've done a lot,” Trump added. “And remember this is a Europe's problem much more than our problem.”
The US President also reiterated his claims of having resolved multiple global conflicts during his second term. “I have solved seven wars. I did so many, including Pakistan and India, but big ones, some were unsolvable, Congo and Rwanda. I solved it. It was going on for 31 years, millions of people killed. I solve wars that was unsolvable,” he said.
Meanwhile, India has defended its purchase of Russian crude oil, stressing that its energy procurement is guided by national interest and market dynamics.
Earlier, Trump’s nominee for the next ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, said on Thursday that the Trump administration wants India, with its massive middle-class market larger than that of the US, to buy American crude and oil products, adding that the ongoing trade talks are aimed in that direction.
Gor highlighted that India’s population of over 1.4 billion and its rapidly expanding middle class offer significant opportunities for the United States.
A day before, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that a trade agreement with India could move forward as soon as New Delhi stops buying oil from Russia.
Speaking to CNBC about key trade priorities, Lutnick said, "Well, we're going to sort out India," adding that progress depends on India ending its Russian oil imports. Lutnick's remarks comes amid tensions between the two nations over trade and energy policies.
Source: India Today