US President Donald Trump has reportedly asked the European Union (EU) to join Washington in imposing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on India and China, two of the world’s largest importers of Russian crude oil.
The move is aimed at further squeezing Moscow’s revenue streams and increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, according to a report by The Financial Times, cited by NDTV.
Call for “Dramatic Tariffs”
Trump made the request during a virtual participation in a high-level meeting between senior US and EU officials in Washington. The discussions focused on ways to limit Russia’s ability to finance its war effort through oil sales.
“We’re ready to go, ready to go right now, but we’re only going to do this if our European partners step up with us,” a US official was quoted as saying.
Another official reportedly indicated that Washington was prepared to “mirror” any EU tariffs imposed on Beijing and New Delhi, raising the prospect of a steep increase in duties on imports from both countries.
Currently, US duties stand at 50 per cent on Indian goods and 30 per cent on Chinese exports.
Trump’s Position on Russian Oil Purchases
The US President argued that coordinated tariffs were the most effective strategy to deter China and India from continuing to purchase Russian oil.
“The obvious approach here is, let’s all put on dramatic tariffs and keep the tariffs on until the Chinese agree to stop buying the oil. There really aren’t many other places that oil can go,” a US official told FT.
Frustration Over Ukraine War Stalemate
According to NDTV, Trump’s proposal reflects growing frustration within the White House over the inability to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia — a goal Trump had once claimed he could achieve “within hours” of assuming office.
On Sunday, Trump threatened further sanctions on Russia after its largest-ever aerial strike on Ukraine. He also warned of penalties against countries buying Russian oil, saying he intends to cut off a key source of funding for Moscow’s war machine.
So far, Washington has imposed “secondary sanctions” on India over its Russian crude purchases, while China has largely been spared direct penalties.
Contradictory Messaging on India
Trump’s tariff threat appears to clash with his recent overtures toward India. Just a day earlier, he announced the resumption of US-India trade negotiations and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Truth Social.
“I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” Trump wrote.
This apparent contradiction comes shortly after PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit, raising questions about Washington’s evolving strategy toward New Delhi.
