Imposing tariffs on India will not deter Russian President Vladimir Putin or resolve the Ukraine conflict, Democrats on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Friday, pushing back against the Biden administration’s strategy of secondary sanctions.
The sharp remarks came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested that if talks between President Donald Trump and Putin at the upcoming Alaska summit fail, Washington could escalate secondary sanctions on India for continuing to purchase Russian oil.
“Tariffing India won’t stop Putin. If Trump really wanted to address Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, maybe punish Putin and give Ukraine the military aid it needs. Everything else is smoke and mirrors,” the Committee Democrats posted on X.
Bessent, in an interview with Bloomberg, said that the US had already imposed secondary tariffs on Indian crude imports and warned of possible increases if diplomacy falters. He added that sanctions could be tightened or relaxed depending on the outcome of Trump’s engagement with Putin, stressing that European allies “need to join us” in applying pressure.
Earlier this year, Trump announced tariffs of up to 50 percent on India, including a 25 percent duty specifically targeting New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, set to take effect on August 27.
India has strongly opposed the move. The Ministry of External Affairs described the decision as “unjustified and unreasonable,” vowing to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s economic security and national interests.
The tariff dispute comes at a sensitive time, with global attention focused on the Trump-Putin summit and continued calls from Ukraine for stronger Western support.
