- US President Trump warned India of tariff hikes over Russian oil imports
- Trump said PM Modi knew he was unhappy with India's oil trade decisions
- India claims oil imports from Russia are vital for its energy security
US President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to India, saying that Washington will raise tariffs on New Delhi if it continues importing Russian oil. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "knew he was not happy" and New Delhi wanted to "make him happy".
"We could raise tariffs on India if they don't help on the Russian oil issue," Trump said while addressing reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday.
The American commander-in-chief claimed that India has substantially reduced its oil purchases from Russia.
"They wanted to make me happy, basically... PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly," he added.
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Trump's Timing
Trump's new warning comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over New Delhi's energy trade with Russia, even as India has defended its oil purchases as essential for domestic energy security. The remarks also come just weeks after Trump and Prime Minister Modi held a telephonic conversation, during which both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in bilateral trade ties despite ongoing tariff-related tensions.
The call coincided with the launch of a fresh round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse. Talks began earlier this year but faced disruptions after the US imposed tariffs on Indian imports, reaching as high as 50 per cent.
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Recently, the US Embassy in India also quoted Trump's praise for PM Modi amid prolonged trade deal talks. In a social media post, Trump described India as "an amazing country" and said America has found "a great friend" in Modi. "
"India is home to one of the world's oldest civilisations. It is an amazing country and an important strategic partner for America in the Indo-Pacific region. We have a great friend in PM Modi," he wrote.
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Focus On Oil
The US strike on Venezuela has brought the issue of oil to the forefront of geopolitics once again. Venezuela has massive oil reserves, which total over 303 billion barrels, making them the world's largest proven reserves.
However, production has dwindled to 1 million barrels per day due to US sanctions and underinvestment. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves (estimated at over 300 billion barrels), which represent roughly 17 per cent of the total global oil supply, OPEC data shows.
