Important to make me happy: Trump threatens higher tariffs on India over Russian oil imports
Referring to India's oil trade with Russia, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of his displeasure. "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 told reporters aboard Air Force One.
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has again warned India over its purchase of discounted Russian crude, saying the United States could raise tariffs on Indian imports if New Delhi does not cooperate on what he described as the "Russian oil issue".
"We could raise tariffs on India if they don't help on the Russian oil issue," Trump was quoted as saying by Reuters during a briefing on Monday.
'PM Modi aware of my displeasure'
Referring to India's oil trade with Russia, Trump said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware of his displeasure. "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 told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The remarks come months after the Trump administration doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50 per cent in August 2025, owing to India's purchases of discounted Russian oil as a key reason.
Trump's warning comes amid ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States. The president had earlier claimed, in October, that Modi had "assured" him India would stop buying Russian oil. "There will be no oil. He's not buying oil," Trump had said at the time.
Russia remains India's largest supplier of crude oil
India, however, rejected that assertion, saying no such assurance or conversation had taken place between the two leaders. New Delhi has consistently maintained that its energy procurement decisions are guided by market conditions and the needs of Indian consumers.
Russia remains India's largest supplier of crude oil. Several Trump administration officials have previously alleged that Russia uses revenues from oil exports to fund its war in Ukraine, accusing India of reselling Russian oil for profit.