PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump (R)

US President Donald Trump on Monday issued a fresh tariff warning to India, saying Washington could raise duties on New Delhi if it does not “help on Russian oil issue,” directly linking the threat to the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.“We could raise tariffs on India if they don’t have help on Russian oil issue,” said US President Trump, quoted by Reuters.US President Donald Trump added, “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…”

Trump was referring to India’s continued oil trade with Russia, a point his administration has repeatedly opposed, and which he had cited as the basis for doubling tariffs on India to 50% in August 2025.India is already facing the 50% tariff imposed by Trump, who has been sharply critical of New Delhi’s ties with Moscow and has alleged India of strengthening Russia in the Ukraine war by purchasing Russian crude. Trump’s deep interest in the Russia-Ukraine war is no secret. He has imposed heavy tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil while simultaneously attempting to position himself as a mediator between Moscow and Kyiv. He has held multiple rounds of talks with Vladimir Putin, even inviting him to Alaska, though none have produced meaningful results.Also Read | From ‘great friend Modi’ to 50% tariffs: Decoding India–US ties in the Trump eraTrump has also spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on several occasions, but those conversations, too, have yet to yield any concrete path to peace.Months earlier, Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would stop buying Russian oil, calling it a “big step” towards increasing pressure on Moscow.However, India later clarified that no such conversation between Trump and Modi had taken place, dismissing the US President’s claim.