A day after US President Donald Trump warned India of revised tariffs over its continued purchase of Russian oil and military equipment, Russia issued a sharp response on Tuesday, calling such threats “illegal.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, addressing reporters in Moscow, criticized Washington’s approach, saying, “We hear many statements that are in fact threats, attempts to force countries to cut trade relations with Russia. We do not consider such statements to be legal.” Peskov emphasized that countries have the sovereign right to determine their own trade and economic cooperation frameworks, asserting that “such threats cannot be made.”
He added that the Kremlin views external pressure on Russia’s trading partners as direct “threats.”
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The Kremlin’s remarks came in the wake of another warning from President Trump, who on Monday night criticized India’s ongoing oil purchases from Russia, claiming New Delhi profits by reselling it on global markets.
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine. Because of this, I will be substantially raising the Tariff paid by India to the USA,” Trump wrote.
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India responded strongly through an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, rejecting the accusations and defending its trade decisions. “The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” the statement said.
From August 1, the US imposed a 25 per cent tariff on several Indian goods. President Trump attributed the move to India’s existing high tariffs on American products, calling them “the highest in the world.”
