Trump Softens Stance on India Tariffs Post-Putin Summit, Cites Productive Talks
Following his high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Saturday indicated a potential softening of his stance on retaliatory tariffs against countries, including India, for their purchase of Russian oil. Trump stated that while he might consider such measures in the coming weeks, they are not immediately necessary given the positive outcome of his meeting with Putin.
“Well, because of what happened today, I think I don’t have to think about that (tariffs),” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview. He added, “Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don’t have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well.”
Trump’s remarks came in response to a question specifically addressing the oil trade between India and Russia, and potential tariffs on China. Just weeks prior, Trump had announced a 25% retaliatory tariff on India, which he later doubled, explicitly citing New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.
Half of these tariffs have already taken effect, with the remainder slated for August 27. Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had also warned that secondary tariffs on India could “go up” if the Alaska talks did not go well, describing India as “a bit recalcitrant” in trade negotiations.
However, the tone from the US President has noticeably shifted post-summit. Before the Alaska meeting, Trump had threatened “very severe tariffs” – potentially 100% secondary tariffs – on countries trading with Moscow if a deal to end the Ukraine war wasn’t reached within 50 days. He had previously noted that Moscow had “lost an oil client – India” and that secondary sanctions would be “devastating” for Russia.
India has consistently defended its oil imports from Russia as a matter of national energy security and maintained that its relationship with the US is broad, extending beyond specific trade issues. The Ministry of External Affairs had also urged against viewing bilateral ties through the prism of a third country. Trump’s latest comments suggest a pause in the escalating trade tensions, contingent on the perceived progress from the Alaska summit regarding the Ukraine conflict.
