- Donald Trump stated he had no knowledge of the United States importing fertilizers and chemicals from Russia.
- This statement was a response to India’s accusation of “double standards.”
- India’s accusation stemmed from Washington’s criticism of New Delhi’s trade in Russian oil.
- A reporter questioned former President Trump about India’s claim that the US buys Russian uranium and fertilizers while criticizing India for buying Russian energy.
- The reporter asked Trump for his response to this apparent hypocrisy.
- Trump replied that he was unaware of the US purchases of Russian uranium and fertilizers and stated, “We will have to check.”
The remark followed a fiery post by Donald Trump on Truth Social, where he accused India of exploiting the Russia-Ukraine conflict for financial gain.
“India is not only purchasing massive amounts of Russian oil, but is also reselling a significant portion on the open market for huge profits,” Trump alleged. “They seem indifferent to the number of lives lost in Ukraine at the hands of the Russian war machine. As a result, I will be significantly increasing tariffs on Indian imports to the U.S. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!” he added.
India promptly dismissed the claims, labeling them as “unjustified and unreasonable.”
In a firm rebuttal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) defended India’s energy trade with Russia, calling it a strategic necessity driven by global market disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.
“India turned to Russian imports when traditional suppliers diverted their shipments to Europe following the conflict’s outbreak,” the MEA stated on Monday evening. “Ironically, it was the United States that initially encouraged such purchases by India to support global energy market stability. Our imports aim to ensure stable, predictable, and affordable energy access for Indian consumers — a necessity, not a choice.”
The ministry further pointed out the hypocrisy of critics, highlighting that some of the very countries questioning India’s trade conduct — including the US — continue to buy Russian goods. These include uranium hexafluoride for nuclear power plants, palladium for electric vehicles, as well as fertilisers and key chemicals.
“Unlike India, whose actions are driven by national necessity, such imports by others cannot be seen as vital or unavoidable,” the statement concluded.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) hit back at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of penalties and tariff hikes, calling out what it described as the “double standards” and hypocrisy of both the United States and the European Union.
“It is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves engaged in trade with Russia, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” the MEA said in its statement.
Trump, while not specifying the exact tariff increase, hinted that “major actions are being seriously considered.”
“I never said a percentage, but we’ll be doing quite a bit of that. Let’s see what happens over the next fairly short period of time,” he told reporters.
Previously, Trump had indicated plans to raise the existing 25% tariff on Indian goods “very substantially”, citing India’s continued import of Russian oil as the justification.
“India went from the highest tariffs ever. Now they’re offering zero tariffs and more access — but that’s not enough, because of what they’re doing with Russian oil. That’s not good,” Trump told CNBC.
India’s crude oil imports from Russia have seen a dramatic rise — from just 0.2% of its total crude intake before the Ukraine war to over 35% in recent months, making Russia India’s top supplier.
The Ministry of External Affairs clarified that India’s increased oil imports from Russia were a result of traditional Middle Eastern suppliers redirecting their exports to Europe following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
Despite growing pressure from Western nations to reduce ties with Moscow, India has maintained its relationship with Russia, citing their decades-long strategic partnership and national interest considerations.
